Glitter in The Dark
by Dahlia's Note
Summary: Evelyn, a witch on the run, visits Mystic Falls and possesses Bonnie's body. With no control over her body, Bonnie can only watch as Evelyn causes trouble for her as well as every one she cares about.
1. Evelyn

**Chapter 1**

 **"Evelyn"**

Evelyn Aronson swept back her long red hair. She finally got to Mystic Falls and had her sights set on one person, the one and only Bonnie Bennett. She had a few plans for the witch but before she could start, she'll need a place to stay. She hadn't occupied a home in years and finally being able to settle down for at least the next few days would do wonders. She needed actual rest if what she planned to do in town would be pulled off.

It was 9 pm. The small town was quiet for the most part. Evelyn thought for sure she'll have to leave this place once this was all over. She'll head back to the city and enjoy the night life as well as her newfound freedom.

Evelyn enjoyed doing what she wanted, when she wanted. Her face was porcelain white, her hair was red and as rebellious as she was, and her eyes were a sweet cerulean blue. On more than one occasion, her beauty has charmed the likes of very powerful men, supernaturally powerful or not. And powerful men gave her what she wanted and she lived a life of luxury, until those men become possessive and controlling. There isn't a man in this world she truly loved and she had no intention to fall in love either. She'll never be bound to anyone, it was her only fear outside of death and she's already gotten to live for over two centuries. She wasn't done with life yet and the only person in the world who threatened that was Laurent Vitkosky. She shuddered at the thought of him.

Evelyn approached a large home and decided instantly that it was where she would stay for the time being. She checked her face in her compact mirror again before knocking on the front door. She stood for a minute and rolled her eyes. An old couple must have lived there, why else would she be kept waiting? She looked down at her boots, black with thick 6 inch heels. They were an old pair, reminding her of how little time she had to herself in this state.

By the time someone had gotten to the door, Evelyn had run out of whatever mercy she might have had for the owners of the house. She took a large hunting knife from her purse and hid it behind closed arms.

An elder man opened the door and gave her a smile. "Can I help you?"

"Hello," she smiled before revealing her knife and burying it inside the man's gut. "Good bye." The man dropped to the floor, dead. He hadn't even been able muster up his last breath to scream out.

She gingerly stepped over the body, careful not to get any of his blood on her shoes, the ones she hated because they were old anyway. She strolled through the living room. Old dingy furniture and black and white photos occupied the space. She considered bothering to update its look but that would mean staying for longer than she'd planned.

She turned a corner into the kitchen when she heard a woman's voice.

"Damn it," she hissed. As she looked for another knife, an elderly woman entered the kitchen.

"Excuse me?"

"Hi," Evelyn started and then burst into tears. "He collapsed at the door!" She cried out. "Please, help!"

The woman's brown eyes widened. "Henry!" she gasped and went for the door. She ran towards the front door but stopped short as soon as she saw Henry's blood. The horror and grief only had a second to settle in the women's mind before Evelyn struck her over the head with a wine bottle.

Evelyn took a deep breath. The trouble with hostile takeovers is that there wasn't enough time to actually case spells that would make things easier for her. Taking a life used to be harder. Back when she was still naturally young and innocent but then suddenly crushing under the weight of Laurent's plans for her. She didn't want to be his tool, so she ran. She killed—slaughtered—for her freedom and survival. Her magic only grew stronger though, making Laurent want her even more.

She dragged the man's body down to the basement first. She hoped there wouldn't be any more surprise guess in the home for a while. Next was the woman who Evelyn made sure not to kill. If push came to shove, she'd need a human soul to sacrifice. She hated older people because they were so fragile. It was going to be troublesome trying to keep her from going into shock and dying while she was out of the house.

Evelyn later had an restless night. Nightmares of Laurent and his plans for her woke her up every other hour. She was sure that she'd have a wonderful sleep knowing that Bonnie Bennett was so close but that's wasn't true. Until she actually had Bonnie, there was no room rest.

In the morning, she showered, got dressed, powered her face, and glossed her lips. She stared into the mirror. At 289, her magic made her look 22 still. The only thing she loved more than freedom was her beauty. But this sort of magic came at a cost. She was disturbing the balance of nature by staying alive and this young for so long. Her bones ached from time to time, her body was tired of it all, and nothing would give it more release than to finally turn to ash.

"Not today," she told her reflection. But there was a loophole to this type of magic. All she would have to do is simply occupy the body of someone who is still naturally young, preferably another witch. The body of another witch is simply more resilient.

She checked her watch, checked on the old woman in the basement, and finally headed out the front door.

* * *

It took them years to finally get rid of the heretics. Mystic Falls finally felt like the quiet town Bonnie grew up in instead of the warzone it had been for so long. By some sort of miracle, she survived, as well as all of her friends. Out of love, Stefan made sure Lily was spared. While Lily didn't love him as a son anymore, Stefan would always have hope that she would at least love him as a person one day. Still, Lily fled Mystic Falls. With her family gone, she must have felt her world caving in. She ran away and Enzo ran with her.

"Hello? Earth to Bonnie!" Caroline waved her hand in front of Bonnie's face, finally gaining Bonnie's attention. "What's with you today?"

They were having lunch at the Grille. They shared a table outside because it was finally spring and Caroline was sick of being indoors.

"Is it weird that I feel like it's been too quiet lately?" Bonnie asked as she looked over her shoulder and then back to Caroline.

"Nope!" Caroline grinned. "But it's also not weird that you're so paranoid. It's been too long since we've had this town be so quiet. Can't we enjoy it?"

"Yeah," Bonnie smiled a little. "I guess it feels strange now not having to fight for my life every 5 seconds."

"I know what you need."

"Some peace of mind?"

Caroline shook her head and said "A party in your honor. We'll invite the whole town!"

Bonnie laughed. "I don't think that's what I want."

"Of course it is! You just don't know that you want it yet. And you can try saying no but I'll just go home and bother Stefan over it and he'll go to Damon and he'll try to convince you just to get Stefan off of his back."

"Not fair!" Bonnie said. "You're not allowed to use Stefan against me!"

"I'll use my boyfriend how I please."

Bonnie groaned. There was one thing Caroline never stopped talking about and that was finally having her prince charming. It took a lot for Caroline not to be insecure and once she was over it, she was over the moon with happiness. While Bonnie always supported Elena's relationship with Stefan, it was a relief to have her friends find new happiness within each other.

"Besides, Damon won't do it unless it benefited him somehow. Otherwise he won't care." Bonnie said as she grabbed a French fries and dipped it in ketchup.

"Oh really? He wouldn't care that his very own Bonnie Bennett is tense and nervous and would greatly benefit from partying her ass off?" Caroline asked with a smug look on her face. As much as Damon annoyed her, she understood fully what Bonnie meant to Damon now. All it took was seeing them together for the first time, as well as some explaining from Stefan. For Bonnie, he'd do anything, so for Bonnie they were definitely on the same side.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You know what? Don't bother. Go ahead and throw me a party. Ease my fears. Fine me a hot date even. Whatever it takes."

Caroline's eyes brightened at the suggestion. "You better not take that back! I'm going to find you the hottest guy around."

Bonnie wasn't good with dating but now felt like that perfect time to fall in love. You know, before the next crisis hits and her boyfriend is driven away by the madness of it all.

"You think… you think I should tell the next guy I date that I'm a witch and most of my friends are vampires?"

"I think if you fell in love with a guy it would be hard not to tell the truth. Besides, what happens when your babies are starting fires with their mind on their 16th birthday by accident? It would be a great heads up if they knew that they had legendary Bennett witch blood coursing through their veins." Caroline paused, taking in Bonnie's solemn expression. "I can always compel him to be understanding. Stefan can use his heart of gold and convince him that this is just who you are. And even Damon would be willing to torture your future husband into being a perfect gentleman."

"I want Damon nowhere near my future husband." Bonnie couldn't imagine Damon being even a little bit nice to him.

"He's so possessive, who knows if you'll even get that far."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying that if you attempted to get into a serious relationship, Damon, being the lost demon that he is, wouldn't know what to do with himself. Damon hates everyone but he doesn't hate you and that means not letting anyone else get too close." Caroline declared and took a bite from her raw steak burger.

Bonnie let Caroline's words sink in. By now, she wasn't oblivious to how much she cared about Damon and how much he cared about her. However, she doubted her dating would cause him any trouble. He definitely wouldn't care as long as he could still call her up in the middle of the night to talk about trivial things.

"Just find me a man, Caroline. Find me someone gorgeous and sweet," she sang.

"Speaking of gorgeous and sweet, hey Matt," Caroline greeted Matt as he approached their table.

"Hello ladies," Matt grinned as he took a seat. He was still wearing his sheriff uniform making Caroline wonder if he knew how much sexier he is with that badge on.

"Hey Matt, quick question, are you ever not on duty?" Caroline asked.

"In Mystic Falls? Never."

They all laughed.

"That's actually just what we were talking about. Bonnie is a little paranoid about how quiet it's been lately. Please give her some piece of mind."

Matt frowned at Bonnie. "There has been a disappearance."

"No," Caroline groaned. "This isn't peace of mind!"

"Easy, Care. We just know that old couple living on the edge of town has been reported missing by their granddaughter. They could have just up and took a vacation for all we know. Too soon to tell."

"See? They took a vacation! Matt, you're terrible at peace of mind," she said with a bounce of her curls.

"But if Bonnie says be worried, then I would be," Matt looked over to Bonnie and smiled bitterly at her. If she was tense about something—anything—he could never tell her that it's just a feeling. When has she ever been wrong in her judgement? He put his hand on Bonnie's small shoulder. "I'll have everyone on the force taking extra precautions. No one comes into town without a once over from us."

Bonnie smiled, happy to have Matt on her side.

"Thanks for nothing, Matt," Caroline said with an eye roll.

"That's Sheriff Donovan to you Ms. Forbes," Matt said and they shared another laugh.

"That's future Mrs. Salvatore to you." Caroline said.

Matt and Bonnie shared a look and then burst into laughter.

"And what's so funny?"

"You're going to let him know you're planning your wedding day already right?" Matt asked, still laughing with Bonnie.

Caroline pouted. "Of course I am. Whatever, I have a party to plan and a man to find for you so I'm going." Caroline grabbed her purse and left.

"A man?" Matt had to ask.

Bonnie blushed but went against denying it. "I've given Caroline the task of a lifetime."

"Finding you a boyfriend?" Matt asked as he went ahead and stole a handful of her fries. "I guess it has been a while since you've seriously dated someone. Bonnie wants to get her groove back."

Bonnie slapped the fries out of Matt's hand before he could take a bite. "I never lost my groove!"

Matt tries for her fries again and it was slapped away a second time. "Come on Bonnie, let me have some!" She gave him a hard time for another minute before letting Matt have at her food.

"It would be fun getting back out there. It's been too long since Jeremy you know?" A short affair wasn't enough anymore.

Matt nodded but he was beginning to think that Caroline would do this all wrong. Bonnie didn't date often; she was sweet woman with a brave heart though. She definitely deserved someone great.

"Tell Caroline that I got it."

"Got what?" Bonnie asked, confused.

Matt lit up with his response. "I'm going to find you someone."

"Matt, come on, don't go crazy on me too."

"Seriously," he looked Bonnie in the eyes. "I already know someone you might like if you gave him a chance."

"Fine, I'll bite. Go ahead. I'll decide the winner."

"Great!" Matt got up from his seat. "Make sure you get some rest. If your right about that feeling of yours, and you always are, we have to gear up." Bonnie stood and opened her arms to hug Matt. He happily embraced his short friend. "We're gonna be ok."

"Thank you, Matt," she said into his large chest. Her fears were indeed calmed while she stood in Matt's arms. Maybe with enough luck they could stop whatever was coming before it could do any real damage.

Matt touched her cheek. "You're welcome," he said in a calm tone. "I'm gonna get out of here though. See you later?"

"Yeah, see you."

Bonnie watched Matt walk away and get into his patrol car. She wondered if maybe Matt could find someone too. Her friendship with him has been the most consistent all these years. Matt was definitely the gentlest of her friends, and she knew for sure that any girl would be happy to have him. But she quickly threw away those thoughts. Matt didn't date for a reason. He told Alaric to get out of town before disaster could hit and wipe away what was important to him. And then Alaric lost everything just as Matt warned. Bonnie was sure Matt would die for this town, but that meant not letting anyone become too important to him.

Maybe she was the same. And with that thought, misery seized her. No. It was love that made living worth it. It wasn't blind loyalty that made her protect her friends, family, and all of Mystic Falls, it was love. And she deserved love, every version of it. Maybe it was about time she chased after it the way everyone else around her did.

She would tell Matt about her realization. She'll tell him it's ok to want someone openly. And she'll tell him that his love for his friends and this town weren't enough. Even if it was terrifying, fall in love, find your very own extra special person.

Maybe they'll be lucky enough to have that person for a lifetime.


	2. Friendships

**Chapter 2**

 **"Friendships"**

Bonnie had visions, flashes of bright red hair, and she couldn't make anything of it. She would stay up on the phone with Damon even longer just to avoid falling asleep. Damon telling her to just relax wasn't working.

It was another sunny day in Mystic Falls and she was anything but energetic.

"I hear Caroline's throwing you a party," Stefan said as he entered Bonnie's boutique. He found Bonnie staring absentmindedly out the display window. It was Damon's gift to Bonnie and to this day, he pretends as if it wasn't a big deal. Bonnie wanted something and he gave it to her, simple as that.

" _What is this?" she asked as she walked further into the empty space._

" _You're going to have to clean this place up yourself," Damon started._

 _Bonnie turned around to face him. "What is this place?"_

" _Just put whatever you want in here," Damon went on, ignoring his friend._

 _Bonnie, fed up, walked right up to him. "Tell me!"_

 _Finally, he cracked a smile. "It's yours."_

" _You didn't compel someone out of there space did you?"_

" _Oh, Miss Bennet, how little you think of me."_

" _This is mine…?" Her green eyes shimmered._

" _Don't bother thanking me, Bonbon." Damon tried his hand at being flippant but Bonnie hadn't entertained it. She leapt into his arms and hugged him with both her arms and legs. The last time we hugged him like this was when she came back from the other side. Otherwise, they weren't affectionate but occasionally, it was out of their control._

" _Thank you, Damon."_

The boutique was spacious and full of warm and golden tones on top of solid wood floor. Stylish clothes hung from velvet racks and platinum jewelry was showcased behind polished glass. It was a popular shopping spot for one of a kind pieces allowing Bonnie not to ever worry about not being able to support herself.

Bonnie shook her head as she adjusted a casual spring dress on a mannequin. "Yup, this weekend. Are you going to come?"

"It's sweet of you to think I even have a choice. But yes, I'm going."

"It might be fun," Bonnie offered him a smile, one that was immediately returned.

"It's usually at some party or event that things go south."

"Right," Bonnie laughed. "Well, you're not wrong about that. But if Saturday night goes off without a hitch maybe I can finally stop being so paranoid, Caroline could crown herself as the one who's always right and I get to leave with a potential boyfriend."

"And if you're right?"

"Then I prepare myself for a fight," she sighed.

Stefan walked up to her and took her in his arms. Bonnie didn't want to cry, not over a bit a comfort being thrown her way but the sting in her eyes said otherwise.

"Please don't feel like you're alone in all of this. You can trust me to fight for you too."

"Damn it," Bonnie let a tear from her eyes and she buried her face in his chest. "You're going to make me cry."

When Stefan laughed, Bonnie felt the deep vibration of it in his chest. "Sorry," Stefan squeezed Bonnie's shoulders, the gesture was comforting. "Now come on, Caroline ordered me to kidnap you."

"And take me where?"

"It's a surprise."

"Hmm," Bonnie considered it. "And if I say no?"

Stefan smiled sheepishly. "I've been ordered to use force."

Bonnie grinned. "I'm going to call your bluff, Stefan Salvatore."

"Oh?"

"While I fully expect Damon to throw me over his shoulder and otherwise be as wild as he wants to be, you are the opposite. Instead of throwing me over your shoulder, you're going to politely talk me into going with you." Bonnie spoke as she walked through her store, arranging clothing racks and adjusting every item on display until she deemed it perfect. "Besides, I'm about to open so whatever Caroline has planned for me can wait."

Stefan pursed his lips. "OK, fine, I guess over a decade of friendship means you know a thing a two about me." Stefan said and Bonnie laughed. "But you also know Caroline and you know she'll give us both an earful if you let me got back without you. So play nice and don't struggle."

Bonnie looked out of her display window. It's going to be a sunny day today. She thought that maybe part of her felt safe in her store. Maybe keeping busy meant keeping her nose clean and out of trouble.

"Fine," Bonnie huffed. Stefan promptly hoisted Bonnie onto his shoulders.

"I'm almost positive you won't regret this," he said with a chuckle.

* * *

Where Stefan brought her wasn't to her doom. It was a hair salon.

"Finally," Caroline exclaimed. "Had I known it would have taken you so long to kidnap my best friend, I would have done it myself."

Stefan set Bonnie down on her feet and went to kiss Caroline on her cheek. "Sorry, Bonnie put up a tough fight. There was blood and broken bones and…"

Caroline laughed "We get it, Stefan."

"Well I have a couple of people to see," Stefan adjusted his leather coat.

"You mean you're going to see Alaric and Damon." Caroline said.

"At least let me pretend that I have more friends than that, Caroline." Stefan groaned before leaving to the sound of Caroline and Bonnie laughing at him.

"What's going on in that blonde head of yours?" Bonnie asked as Caroline guided her to a seat.

"Well, since I'm senior-head-CEO of your reinvention, I've decided that you need a total make over. And since you've done the short cut already, we're going to get you long fiery tresses."

"Caroline, no," Bonnie groaned. "I don't want to look like a Halloween custom."

"What?" Caroline gasped. "Why would I even steer you down that road? Are we not friends? Don't you trust me?"

It wasn't trusting Caroline that made Bonnie hesitate. She didn't want to rock the very quiet boat she's been on. Even just a tiny bit of change was enough for her to think a long series of unfortunate events would follow.

Bonnie watched her reflection. She'd make a great redhead. Red is sexy after all. It also seems like that color was inescapable.

"OK! Let's do it!" Bonnie finally allowed herself to be excited about something. "I'm going to look pretty good."

"Bonnie, you're going to look _hot_ ," Caroline wiggled her brows suggestively.

Just then, Bonnie thought of Damon. She was sure Stefan would tell Damon about their earlier shenanigans. What would he think of her new look? He's used to seeing her in pale colors and denim but Damon liked to be thrilled. And red hair was anything but tame.

The hair stylist, a tall perky woman with blue high lights in her hair, approached them. "You're friend Caroline here has already let me know exactly what you want to do so we can get started."

"Ready?" Caroline asked.

"Ready!" Bonnie said with glimmering eyes. "Oh wait, one sec." She picked up her phone then and immediately started to dial Damon's phone number when Caroline snatched the device from her hand.

"You're not going to call Damon are you?"

Bonnie glared at her best friend. "Yeah, I was before you rudely interrupted." She moved to take back her phone, prompting Caroline to move back and hold Bonne's phone over her head. "You're being ridiculous."

"Let me guess, you were going to call Damon and tell him where you are, who you're with, and what you're about to do."

She nailed it.

"So?" Bonnie told him everything. She was too excited about the change to want to surprise him with it later. What was so wrong with that?"

"You don't have to update Damon on your every move. How's your future husband going to feel when you run of to tell Damon everything before him?"

"What is this about?" Bonnie huffed. "Are you really trying to spare the feelings of a man I haven't met yet or do you really just hate that Damon and I are so close?"

"Hmm," Caroline hummed. "A little bit of both."

"Stop it."

"Think about it this way. How much of your world is completely occupied by Damon? He bought you your store and he hangs around it all day long, you have a key to the Salvatore boarding house, he has a key to your place, you talk on the phone all the time, and you two have breakfast in the morning at least once a week." Caroline handed Bonnie her phone. "You're his best friend and I'm finally okay with sharing you with him but how is anyone supposed to be able to get to you if you're stuck in a bubble with him?"

* * *

"Bonnie is stressed out," Stefan went on.

"You think I don't know that?" Damon snapped back before taking a swig of his beer. "What the hell do you want me to do about it?" Stefan said nothing and only served to annoy Damon even further so he continued. "You don't have to tell me that Bonnie is stressed. That pint sized witch knows nothing but how to worry. I obviously can't do a damn thing about it until whatever is out there hiding in the woods jumps out." Though patience wasn't his forte, it was his only option. He worried about Bonnie on his on time; he didn't want to have to deal with Stefan trying to teach him how to be better at being there for her. He didn't want a lesson on comforting. Instead, he wanted to hurry up and decapitate whatever the hell that was haunting her—Damon style.

"Let's just keep our eyes peeled," Alaric cut in. He knew better than all of them what it meant to be caught off guard and have the ones he loved taken away from him by an evil force. It's been half a decade since he lost his entire family and he wasn't the same again. Alaric didn't believe in finding happiness and Damon especially felt hopeless to his friend's sorrow. It wasn't as if the best advice was to get back out there and find a new girlfriend. Damon secretly wished he never fell for Jo in the first place. Alaric would have found a different woman to love, one without a giant target on her back.

"Matt says he's looking out for anyone new to town," Stefan said.

"That's great because he's proven to be such an asset to us in the past," Damon quipped.

"He's doing what he can. That's all we can hope for," Alaric's voice remained low and both Damon and Stefan wondered if he was reliving terrible memories as they spoke of this imminent danger, whatever or whoever it was. Some stories were unfair and unfortunate and most heartbreakingly, unforgettable.

"If this thing ruins Caroline's party for Bonnie, we can always kick back and let her bite its head off," Stefan joked, effectively earning a chuckle from both his brother and Alaric.

"You definitely settled on a feisty one, brother."

Damon rarely commented on Stefan's relationship with Caroline. Despite what Stefan had said about believing it could be better than what he's experienced in love before, Damon didn't quite understand what it all meant. If Stefan didn't feel exactly plus more of what he felt for Elena for Caroline, he wasn't sure what a love like that felt like. Maybe he was too twisted to get it.

"I have. And now she's looking for Bonnie to get settled too."

Damon's interest piqued. "What?"

"Ms. Caroline Forbes is searching for Bonnie's future beau."

"First, _beau_ is the most ridiculous word to come out of your mouth. Second, Bonnie isn't looking for a boyfriend or else I would know."

Damon regretted saying anything in response to what Stefan had said about Bonnie the minute Stefan smiled smugly. For years, it seemed as if Stefan were infinitely pleased by his friendship with Bonnie. Damon was just waiting for Stefan to finally open his big mouth about it so he could crack his skull open.

"Maybe Bonnie doesn't tell you everything," Stefan teased.

"Highly unlikely, brother."

"Knowing you, you might kill the guy before he even gets a shot," Alaric added.

Damon sneered at Alaric before pulling out his cell phone from his jean pocket. "Don't you guys have anything better to do?" he asked as he dialed Bonnie's phone number.

"I'm just wondering how you'll handle Bonnie finally settling down. You're not an "I'm happy for you" kind of guy, Damon" Stefan said, obviously speaking from experience. Stefan wondered then what Bonnie meant to Damon exactly. He's never had a friend like her before and Stefan doubted Damon would know what to do with himself either. While technically nothing _had_ to change between them, Stefan knew something would. Bonnie falling in love meant something.

When the ringing stopped, her voicemail greeting played. _"It's Bonnie. Leave me message."_

Damon hung up. He really wished she would change that damn outgoing message.

"She can't pick up the phone. She's at the salon," Stefan informed—entirely too late in Damon's opinion.

"Could have mentioned that sooner. She's supposed to be at her store, selling prom dresses and tiaras to teenage girls."

"Well not today she is," Stefan smiled.

"If you want to see Bonnie, just go, Damon, and stop wasting your own time," Alaric grumbled. He's known Damon for too long to even want to deal with Damon pretending to be aloof. After all, it was for Bonnie and his selfishness that Damon compelled him all those years ago. In the end though, Damon did anything he felt like if it meant the outcome was getting Bonnie back. He loved her in a special way and another minute at the bar instead of with her was obviously bugging him.

Damon got up and started to put his light jacket on.

"Where you going?" Stefan asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.

"I'm going to crash a party," Damon grinned.

Miles away, in the woods that surrounded Mystic Falls, Evelyn was listening in on every word exchanged amongst the Salvatore brothers and one Alaric Saltzman at the Falls Grille. Quickly and easily, Evelyn casted various spells on the people of Mystic Falls, allowing her to channel the eyes and ears of anyone close to her target, Bonnie.

She also heard everything said between Caroline Forbes and the one and only Bonnie Bennet. Even the strong and noble human, Matt Donovan, was being watched. His attempts at trying to track to her down had been the most amusing thing.

Evelyn was initially surprised to find that Bonnie was friends with so many vampires but especially the infamous Salvatore brothers. Her mission became even more interesting. Maybe she could get more out of this than she expected. It's been a long time since she's felt such a thrill.

Let the games begin.


	3. Beginning

**Chapter 3**

 **"Beginning"**

Alaric didn't mind having a lot of work to do. He preferred the quiet in his empty classroom late at night to the bustle of Mystic Falls Grille. Grading papers saved him from having to think too much about anything. Facts, grammar, and overall construction were the only things he'd look over and concern himself with. This was his life now and he was perfectly fine that way.

He couldn't bring himself to put another gun to his head. He was tired of being tired. He was an unlucky man. He got used to it. All he to do was face the rest of his life in solitude and he won't have to risk losing another person he loved.

"I'm starting to think you live here Mr. Saltzman," a woman's voice came in to cut through Alaric's hazy thoughts.

He looked up to find Darcy Adams, the school's principal, standing at the classroom door. She's new to the school, the town, and maintained that she called the teachers by their last names. She tried hard to be professional but her personality failed her. She was a sweetie pie, Alaric knew it the day he met her.

She was only slightly shorter than he was, with almond colored skin and big curly hair that Alaric figured she must wrestle with every morning for it to be in a perfectly neat bun every day.

"Please call me Alaric," he said with a practiced smile.

She walked into the room and sat on top of a desk in the front row. "How is it that you manage to have hours of grading to do every day? You aren't driving your students crazy now right?"

Alaric smiled, genuinely this time. "I hope so. I've got to keep their minds sharp." And hopefully they won't end up drunk in Amsterdam on some ridiculous trip with his two friends.

"What about your free time?"

"Hm? What about it?"

She shrugged. It was a slow rise and fall of her shoulders with the warm smile never leaving her face and Alaric knew then to stay far away from her. She was too beautiful, too unaware of what that please expression was doing to him.

"What do you do with your free time? There's only so many papers you can force your poor kids to do."

Alaric considered her question. He spent time with Damon. Was getting drunk a hobby to talk about with your superior? Not likely. He liked reading but that wasn't exciting.

"Books," he answered finally. It was the safer answer.

"Books," she repeated with a voice that was low and airy. "I like books."

Alaric was suddenly aware of the beating on his heart. In the same instant, he was seized with terror. He shot up from his chair and hastily gathered his papers and briefcase.

"Is something wrong?" She got to her feet as well, a fluid motion, full of the grace and stability.

"Yes. I have to get home. And you," he looked her in the eye, "you should get home too. It's really late. I, uh, wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"Is that an offer to talk again some other time? Maybe this Saturday afternoon for lunch?" She looked at him with such a hopeful expression that Alaric wasn't happy to have to turn her down.

"I'm sorry, I... I'm not ready. I mean, my wife died and..."

"No, I'm sorry!" She rushed to say after. She covered her mouth and shook her head. Alaric felt guilty for wiping that sweet hopeful look from her face. "I probably should have asked if... I mean, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for your lost." She took a step back.

"Thank you," Alaric said, finding himself more uncomfortable than ever. "I'm going to head home now," he lied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right," she sounded utterly devastated. "Tomorrow."

Alaric considered asking Damon to compel Darcy into forgetting she ever tried asking him out, maybe have her feelings for him erased. She probably won't try again though, not after finding out he's a widower. Sad stories make people uncomfortable.

* * *

Matt couldn't figure it out. The warrant to search the home of the missing couple led him to a dead end. No signs of a struggle, no bodies, not a single hair out of place. The people who lived there were gone without a trace somehow.

"What do you want?" Matt questioned aloud to no one. Since becoming sheriff, Matt had not one cold case. Typical that the one time he couldn't find a clear criminal or even criminal intent it all becomes a supernatural mystery.

Mystic Falls barely survived the vampire witches nearly a decade ago and Matt wasn't ready for another war against the undead and unnatural. Matt concluded though that it wasn't a vampire behind Bonnie's stress and strange disappearances. They didn't care about dropping the bodies they drained of blood anywhere for someone to run into. They didn't do cover ups. It wouldn't have been a werewolf either; they didn't do random attacks and are relatively low key.

"Witch…" Matt muttered, unknowingly making Evelyn smile. She had decided that Matt was a darling and if he was more useful to her, she'd spare him the grief of one day having to square off with her.

He was glad when Caroline called; giving him an excuse not to split his skull over this case.

"What's this I hear about you finding Bonnie a boyfriend?"

"Hello to you too, Caroline," Matt said with an airy laugh.

"I finally found the perfect guy Matt so I don't want to see whatever guy you picked because he's definitely not has good looking and smart as my guy."

Matt smiled. "I've known Bonnie just as long as you have. I might know what she likes."

"Matt, you know I care about you but you're not winning this one," Caroline hung up then. Matt smiled at his phone. Caroline is, naturally, wound up about this. He couldn't help but feel as if the timing was right though. Bonnie herself had gone out of her way to tell him to open up to the world again.

" _Let some girl be lucky enough to be loved by you, Matt."_

" _With what happened to Alaric…" Matt shook his head._

" _Matt, stop what you're saying. Fall in love damn it and do it with_ all _of your heart."_

" _I will if you do."_

" _Caroline is tracking down my future husband as we speak," she grinned._

" _Ok, Bonnie. As a favor to you obviously."_

" _And you definitely owe me."_

" _Who doesn't? Name one person in this town you haven't saved from certain death."_

" _Oh stop,"_

" _Oh, come on, you're 5 foot 2 inches and you single handedly pulled me, a_ football _player, from the bottom of an Olympic pool and saved me from a watery death."_

 _Bonnie laughed again, "I did, didn't I? I'm pretty awesome."_

" _More than awesome. And you're future husband is going to know that."_

Matt bit his lip. He sincerely hoped the night will go well for him as well as Bonnie.

* * *

It wasn't surprising that Bonnie's party was held at the Salvatore boarding house. It also wasn't surprising that everyone in town had attended. Bonnie _is_ surprisingly popular. Damon remembered then that she was actually voted prom queen all those years ago before things turned into a bloody mess.

"Damon," Stefan called out. "Have a drink, my brother." He handed Damon a glass of bourbon. "Try enjoying the night, Damon, your brows are so close together I'd make the mistake in thinking you're brooding."

"Funny, little brother, very funny. Brooding is your thing, not mine. Besides, there's nothing to brood about here," he gestured toward the crowd of people enjoying themselves and the excess of beautiful women.

"I heard you gave Bonnie a less than stellar response to her new do."

"You know it wouldn't kill your little Care-Bear to hold back once in a while. Maybe work on being mysterious instead of an open book all the damn time."

Stefan stepped into Damon's personal space and eyes locked with him. "Screw. You."

"Touché," Damon muttered with a causal smile.

"And what Caroline tells me isn't important. This party is for Bonnie so stop being a jackass and play nice."

"Well, I'm not a nice guy and she knows that."

"Damon," Stefan put both his hands on Damon's shoulders. He was only going to say this once and then let Damon sit in his own shit for a while. "Stop fucking up, Damon. If you lose Bonnie, you're going to lose yourself. You should know _that_ , at least, right? Now I'm going to find my hot, blond, open book of a girlfriend and fully appreciate how wonderful she is." Stefan slapped Damon's shoulder before letting him go.

Stefan disappeared behind the large crowd in his living room. Damon sneered and took a sip of his drink. He didn't even want to try and have fun anymore. What was the point? This isn't what Elena meant by living his life, right?

He should have gone off, traveled, met people, finally be free of this miserable town and everyone in it. Instead, he spent years resenting Bonnie, years trying to pull Alaric from suicidal depression, and years wondering if Caroline was really the one for his brother. He encouraged it at first but Stefan being so dense had caused him to doubt. Stefan was _never_ unsure about Elena. Damon thought the other shoe would eventually drop.

Then he bought Bonnie her store and Alaric finally spoke more than two words at a time. Stefan and Caroline are still together and the small town of Mystic Falls came alive again.

He stayed.

"Hey," Alaric finally found the vampire. It was good to see his friend after his time with Darcy earlier than night. Although Damon himself isn't much less complicated, it was a step in the right direction given that he wasn't attracted to him.

"Hey!" Damon slapped Alaric's shoulder. "Come on, let's go get a drink."

Alaric scanned the crowded room. "Where's the lady of the hour?"

"Well, you know how ladies are, always late to their own debutant balls."

Alaric laughed. "Debutant? Isn't she like 27 now?"

"She's 26. We aren't in old England either."

"Is that where it originated?" Alaric asked. The history buff in him could hardly be contained.

"Ah, I don't have the answer to that. There's a version of debutante ball all over the world."

"Ah," Alaric hummed, slightly disappointed.

"I also might not be her favorite person right now anyway," Damon went on. "She didn't pick up the phone last night."

"Oh, yeah, because you were a dick to her at the salon."

"I wasn't a dick—and who told you about that anyway?"

"Stefan."

"Does anyone hear know how to keep their mouths shut?"

Alaric shrugged. "We all know you care about her. But you're a dick."

"Stefan used jackass."

"Ha, that's good too. Now go find your friend and make up. I'd jump off a cliff if you had _nothing_ to but be an ass to me all day."

Damon handed Alaric the glass Stefan gave him. "Drink, be merry. I've got to go find my witch."

Bonnie had actually just stepped into the Salvatore house. Damon saw when she walked through his front door and for the first time he hesitated. She was looking around, trying to find Caroline no doubt. Her wine red hair flowed down her shoulders in soft curls. She was wearing a pastel pink baby doll dress underneath an off white lace cardigan. She looked simple and sweet. You'd never guess how powerful she was or the face she could make when she's angry, you wouldn't think she could literally start fires with her mind. Damon exhaled. You'd figure he learned how to be less of an idiot. Yet there was, going dumb again.

He was about to approach her when Caroline's blonde mane blocked his view.

"Who told you it was OK to be this late?" Caroline asked.

"I still have a shop to take care of you now. I got here as soon as I could."

"Fine, sorry. You look hot though. Perfect for meeting my guy, Eric. And I purposely found you first before Matt's guy could waste your time." Caroline hooked her arm around Bonnie's.

Bonnie chuckled. "It doesn't matter who I meet first. It's about chemistry and sincerity and…"

"Cute future babies." Caroline cut in. They giggled together at Caroline's comment.

"Can't I take this slow?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah totally. But you're going to stomp your foot on the pedal once you meet him." Caroline stopped short. Bonnie gave her an odd look. "Crap."

"What?" Bonnie hissed, feeling a chill down her spine.

"Matt just got here. We have to find Eric before he finds us."

Bonnie looked at her friend, "If you're guy was really great you wouldn't care about a little competition."

Caroline pouted. "Fine. Call Matt over while I find my guy."

Bonnie called Matt over to her. He immediately went to hug her. "Hey." Matt smiled.

"Hey Handsome." Bonnie complimented.

"Handsome? That's a new one."

"Oh stop!' Bonnie slapped his arm.

"Hey Bonnie, sweetie. This is Eric. He smart, he's charming, and look at his skin!" Caroline presented a man as tall and good looking as she'd been claiming him to me. "And he's Korean so imagine bilingual babies!"

"Hi," Eric greeted. "Caroline's told me a lot about you." He shook Bonnie's hand.

"And where's your second hand fella?" Caroline asked Matt, completely sure of her win. "Well?"

"You're looking at him." Matt said. Caroline's jaw dropped and Bonnie gasped audibly. "I guess you guys are surprised."

"I'll say! Well… damn, I guess Eric is the loser after all." She turned to Eric and compelled him away without any memory of being set up with Bonnie. When she turned back to Matt and Bonnie, they were already smiling shyly at each other. She took a deep breath. "Well this certainly changes things around here. But if this doesn't work out, I can always compel Eric back here." She pointed at Matt. "You be good." Then she pointed at Bonnie. "And you, be open!" She sung as she walked away.

"Well this is definitely a surprise." Bonnie said, wondering if her speech about finding love inspired Matt to fall for her instead of any other small town girl.

"I knew you'd be surprised. Listen, I'm pretty serious about this and I just want to give us a shot. What do you think?"

Bonnie stared into Matt's perfectly blues eyes. He was being so earnest. Forcing herself not to consider any reasons to say no, she nodded.

"Yeah? I'm going to need a few actual words, Bonnie." Matt teased.

"Yes. Let's give this a shot."

"Oh no, not him. Bon, you can do so much better than him." Damon heard Matt's little confession and quickly assumed Bonnie would turn him down. She never thought of Matt romantically before or else he would know. She would have told him.

As Damon approached Bonnie, Matt steps in front of her and glares at the vampire. "We didn't ask for your opinion."

The fact that Matt managed to still be alive after all this time never failed to piss Damon off. He could pick a million people who should be alive instead. Damon decided not to take fate into his hands and rip Matt's throat out and focus on Bonnie instead. "Right, Bonnie, we need to talk. _Now._ "

Matt clenched his fist.

"Matt," Bonnie's voice had cut through the rage in Matt's thoughts. "It's okay." She took his fist and it instantly relaxed in her hold. "It's okay. I'll catch up to you in a minute."

Matt stroked Bonnie cheek. "Find me when you're done," He said and Bonnie nodded again, earning a short laugh from the now proud sheriff.

"Barf." Damon looked genuinely disgusted.

"Let's take this outside."

Damon smirked. "Let's."

Bonnie led the way out of the mansion and down the road. Besides being far away from the crowd, Bonnie wanted to be sure they were far from Caroline who she was sure had been listening in since she left her alone with Matt.

"You're not really going to date Matt _Donovan_ are you?" Damon asked as Bonnie slowed down to a stop. For a quick moment, Damon considered skipping the topic altogether to tell her she was surprisingly attractive that night.

Bonnie finally turned around. "If I was, it wouldn't be any of your business," She huffed and crossed her arms. Damon knew this face well, he was sure he knew it better than anyone in the world.

"What is this, hm?" He eyed her suspiciously. "I teased you a little about your hair and now I'm in the dog house?"

"It's not that." Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I already knew... you'd make some smart ass comment on it." Of course she did. "I was even going to call you before getting it done just so you wouldn't be surprised." Bonnie's bit her lip to keep from smiling. "I know you don't hate my hair. You might even secretly love it."

Damon cracked a smile himself. Bonnie—freaking—Bennett was still as annoying and brilliant as ever. "I'm not some open book Bonbon; I just might really hate your new hair." Damon took it upon himself to tug lightly at the red waves of hair sitting on her shoulder. She slapped his hand away, making Damon's smirk turn into a genuine smile.

It was then that she understood the weight of Caroline's words. There was such a thing as too close and of course, Damon didn't get it.

"Caroline said something to me. It got under my skin—it made it easy to decide on seeing what could happen between Matt and me. He's a good guy despite how unnecessarily you hate him."

"Something like what?"

"That maybe I can't move on with my life if my whole life is you," Bonnie said, the honesty of her own words painful somehow.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He wasn't her whole world. Bonnie had friends, she ran her own business, and she still had Abby and Lucy even if they hardly spoke to one another. He was sure, Bonnie had much more in this world than he did.

"Look at us, Damon. We're together all the time, talking and fighting and…"

"And so what?"

"And maybe that has to change. I want to connect to other people and not just you."

Damon cocked his head back. Bonnie looked away from him then, bothered. It was another moment before Damon spoke again, this time dropping all airs. "Bonnie… Caroline might know you and Stefan might know me," he hissed before he grabbed her shoulders, "but they don't know us!"

"We don't know who we are either, Damon." Bonnie didn't want to have this conversation. She didn't like the truth, that Damon was a train that crashed her heart. "We're just in some bubble and we act like nothing could touch us but that's not true. We're not in 1994 anymore—we aren't stuck with each other—I have to move on!"

"Don't act like some victim Bonnie," Damon dropped her shoulders. "It's beneath you. What was wrong with us up until last week? We're not stuck with each other. This is where we want to be!"

"Well I don't want to be here anymore. I'm going to date Matt and live a regular life and when I'm gone you'll have Elena back and you won't need to skip a beat."

"Is that what you think you are? A placeholder? It's been 6 years already and you think you're just some bookmark in my life?"

"I think once Elena comes back you'll get to go on without missing a beat. You get to fulfill the relationship you always wanted while I..."

"While you what?"

"I have to live _now_. You're a vampire so you don't get it. Time runs out for humans."

"No I get it. Being around me is a waste of time and you'd rather be productive."

Bonnie blinked away her tears. "You know that's not what I meant. But I want to fall in love, Damon. I want to fall in love with the world again. I'm tired of getting caught up in drama and life threatening situations."

"We talk…. Almost every single day," Damon reached out and cupped her cheek. His face softened to an expression even Bonnie rarely got to see. "You mean to tell me this whole time you weren't satisfied with just me?"

Bonnie said nothing at first, the sensation of splinters in her stomach seizing her ability to speak. It wasn't being unsatisfied, not even close. It was just the opposite. She probably could have lived the rest of her life not knowing of the routine she fell into with Damon. They revolved around each other, always giving when the other needed to take, never too far apart, but also, never too close.

"I'm not asking for everything to change. I just want to live a little."

"And I, _the_ Damon Salvatore, doesn't know how to live? You insult me." Damon pinched her cheek. Bonnie laughed a little. "If you date Matt, he'll be jealous of all the nicknames I've come up with."

"Damon…" Bonnie groaned as they started walk back to the party.

"Tell me what you think. Redheaded witch."

"No."

" _Little_ redheaded witch?"

"Hell no. And I'm not little!"

"Red haired maiden then."

"That's somehow worse."

Once they got closer to the mansion, Bonnie slowed her steps.

"Oh no, don't tell me my little redheaded songbird who wanted live and fly off into the sunset doesn't want to go back to her own party?"

Bonnie resisted the urge to pout. "Just give me a minute."

"Fine, you've got five minutes. If you're not on the dance floor I'm dragging your ass back inside."

"Do you have to be so pushy?"

"What kind of man leaves his little redbird out all alone?" Damon smirked, secretly deciding that Redbird was the one. "Five minutes!"

Once Damon was inside, Bonnie took a deep breath. Maybe things will be ok after all. Damon will be fine. Surprisingly, he always is. She'll be fine too. All it was going to take was some effort.

Suddenly, she heard a scream. Bonnie's head jerked toward the sound. It was a woman's voice. She yelled for help and Bonnie ran down an abandoned road, trying to find the woman who was obviously in some pain.

Finally, much further down the road from where she was standing with Damon, Bonnie found a young woman lying on the ground. Her red orange hair was splayed over her face and her clothes were ragged from the fall to the ground Bonnie assumed.

"Hey," Bonnie said as she brushed the hair from the woman's face. "I've got you. Did you fall? Can you stand?" The woman was as small as she was, Bonnie was thankful. She could definitely carry this woman to the hospital if needed be. But then the woman grabbed her shoulders.

"Gotcha!" The woman said and the last thing Bonnie saw was the woman's smooth white skin, blue eyes, and a sinister smile.


	4. Possession

**Chapter 4  
"Possession" **

When Bonnie regained consciousness, she felt distinctly different. It was floaty. It was that odd sensation in your stomach when you're carried up into the sky on Ferris wheel.

She was looking through her own eyes at the road ahead off her but something had gone terribly wrong.

 _'What's happening?'_

'This probably feels weird, huh?' Evelyn responded calmly in her head. 'I'd rather not explain myself but you probably won't stop talking until you understand what's happened and what's going to happen.'

 _'Why can't I...'_ Bonnie tried to stop her legs from moving forward and realized that she couldn't. In fact, she had no control of any part of her body.

'Well, right now you've got an inside look at what it feels like to be possessed. It's a lot less messy than the exorcist made it out to be.'

 _'Why...?'_

Bonnie's body, now controlled by Evelyn, walked back into the party. Damon, who was waiting for Bonnie to return, caught up to her before Matt could. They'd been on standby ever since Bonnie left. Matt obviously had been waiting the longest but Damon had lightning speed and was selfish enough not to care if he occupied all of Bonnie's time.

"Hey, Bonbon, may I have this dance?" He asked and there was sweetness to his tone, one he knew usually wouldn't fool Bonnie. Instead of a flat out no or being passed up for a dance with Matt "blue eyes" Donavan, she smiled openly, stunning the vampire for a moment.

"I'd love to. I've got to use the restroom first though."

Damon smiled back. He didn't hear Bonnie screaming at him that who he was speaking to wasn't really her. Bonnie knew that Damon eventually learned the difference between Katherine and Elena, knew who he was speaking to without them having to open their mouths but Bonnie was sure Damon wouldn't be able to tell this time. This wasn't just another case of the doppelgängers.

 _'Damon... Please...'_ Bonnie was crying out.

'Oh quit being such a baby. I didn't hit you,' Evelyn said in her head. She rolled her eyes too.

When Evelyn found the bathroom, she locked the doors behind her and used her magic to make the room soundproof, even from supernatural beings such as the vampires downstairs.

"You can't always count on running water with these things."

Through the mirror, Bonnie's reflection turned into an image of a young woman. Big and wavy red hair, sparkling blue eyes and clear, near translucent skin. She was the kind of beautiful that someone in the world must have lost their head over.

 _'Who are you?'_

"My name is name is Evelyn Aronson. I'm occupying your body."

 _'Why?'_

Evelyn laughed. She felt sincere pity for Bonnie. "How much of your heritage are you even aware of?" When Bonnie gave her an odd look, Evelyn decided to continue. "Bonnie Bennett of the notorious Bennett witch line. Your ancestor Qetsiyah created the very first immortal being. The Bennetts have been a part of almost every major supernatural phenomenon this world has ever come by. And yet they've have never had a coven. Witches look to you as legendary. Untouchable in what can be accomplished." As she spoke, there were stars in her eyes.

 _'So? So what?_ ' It wasn't accomplishments Evelyn was listing; it was deeds against nature and everything witches claim to stand for.

"So who better to possess than you? Well, there is Lucy of course. But she saw me coming a mile away. Conveniently, there was a Bennett, you, who actually practiced very little magic and wouldn't sense someone like me watching their every move. Did you know that you're the very last of your line?"

 _'Oh no... I saw you coming. I... I knew red was coming.'_

"A natural redhead too. As in Orange. What shade of red is this? Berry? Wine? I guess it doesn't matter. It's already growing on me."

It wasn't in her head like she'd hoped. She thought she was prepared for a fight but this isn't the battle she figured it would be. How was she going to cast Evelyn from her body?

"I can hear your thoughts you know. I've already linked my life to yours so don't try anything funny. Not that you could. I can see your memories too; you only ever used magic to save someone's life and all at the cost of your own. Do you know why you continue to have to use all of your life force to have your magic be successful? Because you make a pathetic witch. Because you lost Dr. Martin and the pretty boy Luka, and you never quite jumped back on the saddle. While I can see your memories, I can't sense the emotions attached. Tell me, how did it feel being pretty much responsible for the death of a father and son?"

 _'There must be something...'_ Bonnie could hardly form the words to speak. She'd lost so many people to magic, including herself. Of course she didn't practice. Dr. Martin was the last teacher she had that actually had some sort of decency. She didn't want to think about it. _'Something I can give you that isn't my body.'_

"I already have what I want. Maybe if you spoke to Matt sooner, he would have told you that he'd already figured out it were, in fact, a witch behind all of those mysterious disappearances."

Bonnie sighed, her body wasn't hers anymore and for the first time, she felt totally hopeless.

"I'm going to go downstairs and have some fun."

 _'Wait! You said you linked my life to yours... But I already have a life tied to mine.'_

"Oh right, Elena. Kai definitely put a number on her. I can go ahead and unbound you two. But I simply don't have the time."

 _'You don't understand...'_

"I understand plenty. Damon and Elena dated. Kai put her to sleep only after binding her life to hers. All you have to do is die and the beautiful Elena returns." Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Listen, I plan on keeping your body for the next several hundred years so that 60 year set up you had is done with."

 _'No...'_

"Damon will be fine. But also, you two have a sweet connection, hm? Saving you instead of keeping his girlfriend around."

' _Damon_ really _loves her. Please, let him have her. I don't care anymore what happens to me.'_

"There it is again. So selfless. But breaking the bond for you doesn't give me anything. And that's all I care about."

Bonnie said nothing. Evelyn was stronger than her. She was selfish and she wasn't going to care.

"Seems like you've accepted your fate. Now all you have to do is kick back and relax."

When Bonnie got back downstairs, she was greeted by Matt.

"Hey you," Matt grinned as Bonnie approached him. "Thought you got lost."

She laughed. "If I did, you'd come find me, right?"

"Of course," Matt said. He was relieved that whatever she had to speak to Damon about hadn't ruined their chemistry for the night.

"Hey Matt, let's dance." She took his hand and Matt allowed himself to be led to the middle of the living room now dubbed as the dance floor.

Evelyn as Bonnie dance with Matt for most of the night. Evelyn paid no attention to the pair of vampires that were surely set in her. She hadn't had any sort of fun since she blew into town. Since escaping Laurent's clutches, she appreciated fun even more. All she could ever dream of was having carefree night like this one. She'll continue to live her life without regrets.

"Bonnie, I believe I was promised a dance."

Bonnie looked over her shoulder to see Damon. Evelyn decided that Damon was definitely not her favorite type of person. Possessive. His type were the ones she hated the most actually.

 _'Damon...'_

Evelyn suddenly felt a surge of guilt and sadness in the pit of her stomach. She shouldn't be able to feel Bonnie's emotions. It should be impossible. Bonnie felt so strongly for this vampire that it was actually affecting her.

"I don't remember _promising_ a dance."

 _'Damon... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for this... For Elena...'_

'Will you pull it together already?' Evelyn snapped. These emotions were unfamiliar and frankly, unnerving.

"She doesn't want to dance." Matt said in his deepest voice.

Damon smirked. Damon didn't care what excuse he needed to finally be able to tear Matt's face off. Evelyn smiled at the scene too. Chaos thrilled her.

'Damon is quite entertaining.' Evelyn thought. 'Jealousy will do this to a man. If I was a blind woman, I'd almost miss his obvious obsession with you.'

 _'Make them stop,'_ Bonnie urged.

'Oh come on… They're so funny to watch.'

 _'Please...'_

There it was again, Bonnie's wrecked emotions tying a knot around her guts.

Damon did nothing but stir up feelings in Bonnie, feelings Evelyn would rather not feel. But if Damon loved Bonnie enough to save her life instead of keeping Elena around, maybe that sort of love was exactly what she'd need.

"Matt!" Bonnie called out, gaining the attention of the two men. "Damon's right. I forgot… I do owe him a dance. A promise is a promise."

From the second floor, Caroline watched over the scene with piqued interest.

"I'd like to eventually have a dance Caroline," Stefan started with a heavy sigh. He was watching Caroline as she watched Bonnie on the dance floor.

"Stefan, Damon is out there making a fool of himself. Can't you go down there and ask him what the hell is he doing?"

"Can't we pretend that he isn't down there being an idiot?" Stefan asked before kissing Caroline's shoulder. He already spoke his peace with Damon earlier. He didn't want to be burdened by Damon's inability to not be absolutely possessive of the people he cared about. It just so happened that Bonnie was at the top of his list.

"Talk to your brother!" Caroline snapped. She turned around to face Stefan who was giving her a stern look. She huffed but then pouted. "I just don't get him. I don't get why he does the things he does and Bonnie… she tolerates it all."

"I think it's less tolerating and more that she just gets him somehow. I hear them talk Caroline… and I've never seen him like this. Bonnie sees Damon for exactly who he is, every dark, miserable, son of a bitch piece of him and she still picks up the phone when he calls. She still smiles at him but isn't afraid to tell him off and believe when I say that that's at least 8 times a day."

"And while Damon gets to relish in every amazing part of my best friend, she's losing time she could spend on someone who isn't literally waiting for her to die so he could get the love of his life back."

"It's not like that." Not anymore at least.

"And how the hell do you know!?"

Stefan didn't respond. Caroline glared at her boyfriend. Stefan wasn't blindly loyal to Damon, Caroline knew at least that much. But did Stefan get it? Damon latching onto Bonnie, those two latching onto each other, _isn't_ progress.

"We don't have to fight about this. But Damon bates for Bonnie and she does for him so I don't need to go around searching for a reason to be bothered by what they have."

"Fine. I won't talk about it anymore."

Stefan sighed. He wasn't sure if he should leave the conversation as it was or try to reassure her somehow that Damon and Bonnie were just fine how they were. Bonnie has seen the depth of who Damon is and it was a relief to not be the only one anymore. It was rare for Damon to let his guard down even in front of him but he didn't have to be on edge with her. Damon finds peace in Bonnie and Stefan isn't going to be the one to attempt at taking away his peace.

Stefan dipped low and grabbed Caroline to lift her up and over his shoulder.

"Stefan?!"

"I remember asking you for a dance!" Stefan growled and Caroline giggled the whole way to the dance floor.

In the end, with Bonnie's pleas, Evelyn gave Damon the dance she promised. Evelyn felt Bonnie's bittersweet emotions flow through her. Being this close to Damon was comforting and in the same breath, painful. The music blared through the speakers at every corner of the living room. It was too loud to think so Evelyn decided on just the feelings instead. She focused on the feeling Bonnie had for Damon. She grabbed Damon's fitted black shirt and brought him closer to her. Ah, Damon smiled and moved against her without questioning the reason behind her newfound edge.

He should have questioned it though because he knew Bonnie well enough that she didn't dance that way, she didn't smile coyly, and she didn't look him in the eye with that sort of fire. Instead, he was thrilled.

It was 3 am before people started to leave. Alaric had left at midnight because he realized being the oldest person in the room besides a couple of forever young immortal vampires was quite depressing. Stefan and Caroline danced the whole night, laughing and smiling at each other as if they'd never dance before, as if they hadn't danced a million dances together.

Bonnie had left Damon for a minute to kiss Matt goodbye. She promised that she'd call and that she'd stay safe. He was still upset about her dancing with Damon for most of the night but decided against bringing it up.

"At least whatever it was that you were nervous about hadn't crashed the party."

 _'Matt...'_

"You're so right, Matt. I feel a lot better now. Thanks for believing in me though."

"Always," Matt leaned in and kissed her. Bonnie kissed back with fever. It's been a while since Evelyn has kissed anyone. She was glad Bonnie had such a fine man have her be the object of his affection. Matt pulled back, surprised by the fierceness of her kiss. He guessed kissing Bonnie would be soft of gentle, not that he had it in him to complain either. "Is this for ditching me all night?"

Bonnie smiled sweetly. "Right again," she said and kissed his cheek one last time. "I'll call you."

When Bonnie walked back into the mansion, Caroline was already speeding around the house cleaning up.

'Your girl Caroline doesn't like to waste time, does she?' Evelyn thought.

 _'When are you going to quit playing this game?'_ Bonnie snapped.

'Hey, you were going to date Matt anyway. So I kissed him. You didn't want to hurt Damon, so I danced all night. I don't know how else you'll be satisfied. You must enjoy all of this while you can Bonnie. Imagine the hurt Damon will feel when you disappear for a few hundred years and his lady Elena remains sound asleep?'

 _'Do you even have a heart?'_

'I don't bother with people and things that don't benefit me Bonnie. I've survived a few centuries without having to care about anyone but me and I like it that way.'

"Bonnie," Stefan called. "You can go on home. I think Caroline is going to make the entire house spotless and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire."

Bonnie laughed. Stefan was definitely cute too, Evelyn thought.

 _'Leave him alone!'_ Bonnie snarled.

'Ha, or what? You care about Stefan deeply too hm? He was the very first vampire to ever give a damn about you. Remember when you cried and he took you into his arms and cried with you?'

Bonnie's memories were a fascinating. It was one tragedy after another. In fact, she was very rarely held by anyone. There wasn't a doubt in Evelyn's mind that Stefan held a special place in Bonnie's heart.

 _'Can you please stop looking through my memories?'_ Bonnie asked, hating that she had no defense to Evelyn's probing.

"Ok, I will." Bonnie smiled at Stefan. Stefan was the only one of Bonnie's friends that Evelyn didn't have to strain her neck to see.

Stefan saw Bonnie's expression and hesitated to speak again.

"Bonnie?"

"Hm?"

"There's something different about you."

'What a clever man!' Evelyn thought excitedly. 'Oh Bonnie, you should have gone after this one instead.'

Bonnie blinked. "There is?"

Stefan took a step closer to the witch. He wasn't paying enough attention earlier but there was definitely something off about her. It was all in her face, the expressions she made, it all felt foreign.

"Yeah, is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Of course. It's been a weird night, that's for sure."

Stefan chucked. "Well, you're right about that. I know you were nervous about tonight. But I'm glad you made it out. Unlike the rest of us, you only get this one lifetime. It would mean a lot to me if you enjoyed it to the fullest."

Bonnie dropped her head into his chest and hugged him tight. Stefan, although surprised by the sudden contact, didn't wait even a second to hug Bonnie back.

"Thank you, Stefan."

"You're welcome Bonnie. By the way, I love the hair. You're like fiery little pixie."

Bonnie's cheeks reddened a bit. Stefan remembered then how much he missed being human and how precious Bonnie is because she's so fragile. "Thanks."

The real Bonnie said nothing.

'Looks like you're getting used to all this.'

 _'I have no power here stuck in my own head. You got what you wanted, my body, and my blood, why even stick around to mess with my friends head too?'_

'Your boyfriend Matt... He's charming.'

 _'Oh I get it. You want to stick around and experience love for the first time? I used to know a guy named Klaus with that same story.'_

Evelyn laughed. 'This isn't the first time I've been enchanted by a man I assure you. Men do bring nothing but trouble though. So don't worry, I'll get tired of him with a little time. In fact, I'll play with the both of them.'

 _'No...'_

'No snarky comments now? And I've met Klaus, back when he was chasing Katherine. He was ruthless then but when I asked for his help in exchange for magical favors, he didn't pull through on his end. He didn't kill Laurent.'

 _'Who is...?'_

"Bon!"

Stefan and Bonnie turned to Damon as he entered the living room in his usual confident strut. Bonnie smiled, already used to the emotions of the real Bonnie stirring her up whenever Damon was near. While she could always put another spell on herself to block the frequency of Bonnie's emotions that affected her, Evelyn found herself to be fascinated by Bonnie's complex emotions. She was ok feeling the things she felt for Damon.

"Damon," Bonnie said through gritted teeth and Damon knew he was about to be lectured but then she smiled. "Nice stunt you pulled tonight."

"I'll give you a week before you hopelessly admit to me that you two don't belong together."

"I'll leave you two alone," Stefan said and made an exit. He was just happy that Damon, despite Elena not being around, found in Bonnie a love of life again. He found a spot in someone's life that he didn't have to compete for or constantly try to proof that he was worth it. When Bonnie does die of old age, Stefan hoped Damon never forgets the lessons he learned from being her friend.

"Don't be jealous."

Damon sucked his teeth. "Don't be ridiculous. Now come on, let's walk you home."

"What a gentleman. What did I do for this service?"

Damon pursed his lips and decided on being honest with his response. "You showed me a few new moves in the dance floor tonight."

"I could tell. You barely kept up."

"Don't be rude."

Damon and Bonnie took a long walk to Bonnie's house. The house she grew up in and couldn't bring herself to leave despite the fact that the family she used to live with were no longer around. It was the house she always figured she'd fill with love and laughter to make up for lost time. She'd have children and create new and happy memories for their sake.

"Here we are, home sweet home."

"Thanks for walking me home."

Bonnie stepped into her porch and Damon followed. He'd see her the next day surely but tomorrow wasn't today, it wasn't _this_ moment, and this was when he wanted to see her the most.

"My pleasure."

"No, actually, it was mine," Bonnie's voice was low and smooth. "I'd hate to be alone. You know, lots of things go bump in the night."

"I'm one of them," he joked.

Bonnie licked her lips. Evelyn considered fooling around with Damon until Bonnie raged against it in her head. Ah, not tonight then. Could Damon be seduced though? Evelyn wondered how deep Damon's love for Bonnie was. While they were inseparable these days, the Damon who fell in love with Elena might not want to let that love go.

"Goodnight Damon."

"Goodnight Redbird."

When Bonnie walked into her house, she exhaled and allowed her body to relax. As easy it was for her to take over Bonnie's body, Evelyn would have to get used to this new form.

"It's been a very long night." Evelyn said out loud through Bonnie's lips.

 _'You don't say?'_

"I have to thank you for a wonderful night. Not only were you easy to catch, you caught the heart of my sweet faced Matt Donovan and I got to dance with the bad boy of the Salvatore brothers. I wish Stefan asked for a dance too but I guess he's preoccupied with Caroline."

 _'When are you leaving town?'_

"When I'm good and ready Bonnie. No need to rush. I'm exhausted though."

 _'What... What happens to me when you sleep?'_

What was Bonnie now? A phantom? Or just some separate consciousness locked in her own body? Matt had no memory when travelers took over his body. Passengers possessed people but didn't have the power to see into the memories of the host body either.

"Because witches are legitimate magical beings and travelers are a cheap knockoff. They're messy, unrefined, and not worth anyone's time."

 _'Stop that...'_

"And to answer your question, when I sleep, you travel to a different plane of existence. What you do there is up to you."

Bonnie showered and got ready for bed. She brushed her hair and moisturized her face. Evelyn complimented Bonnie on her figure but Bonnie stopped responding. It wasn't okay that someone got to see her naked without her consent.

"I gave you a compliment, the least you can do is say thank you."

When Evelyn went to sleep Bonnie found out that she was telling the truth. She was still in her house but it all looked and felt psychedelic. Colors streamed in and out of the room, the floor tilted and shifted as if she was on a rocking boat. Bonnie exhaled and her breath let out an icy cloud of smoke.

She was in her bedroom. She could see Evelyn sleeping soundly in the dark. When she tried to touch the witch, her arm went right through her.

"Damn it."

It was the first time in several long hours that Bonnie can see through her own eyes and experience sight on her own. Before it was like looking through two windows, helpless with what was going on outside. At least here, she was herself and could think freely.

She moved around her room and tried her hand at touching things but failed miserably. If she channeled enough energy maybe could leave a clue behind for Damon to find. Or maybe Stefan was better. He'd be less rash. Killing Evelyn too soon would be the death of her too. And she definitely had to survive this.

She wanted nothing but to take back control of her body and apologize for the mess she had found herself in.


	5. Emotion

**Chapter 5**

 **"Emotion"**

He'd been there at least a million times. It was practically his second home. It was only recently that he'd clean the place of dust and replaced the flowers on top of the coffin Elena slept in. With the heretics causing mayhem, he hadn't had the time or heart to take care of the tomb. It felt right now, not to let this place decay as if it wasn't important. As long as Elena was here, this place would remain sacred.

Stefan sat on the floor and leaned against the stone that supported Elena's casket. Stefan liked the quiet of her tomb, the silence comforted him. While he could easily claim that his life had never been calmer, the fact that it was still without Elena never sat well in his stomach. He missed her. It turned into a dull ache in his chest that remained persistent over the years. He'd see her again, it was a promise, but 60 years wasn't the blink of an eye people liked to think it was to a vampire. It was an entire human lifespan. It meant something, that he couldn't see her for such a long time.

Her sealed casket, her tomb, and the silence all became his new journal.

"Hey Elena..." Stefan started and then paused, as if waiting for her to greet him in return. He hasn't had a journal in a long time. Just speaking out loud was good enough for now. When Elena does wake up, he'll start from the beginning and then just tell it all over again. Everything she missed. "Nothing's changed since the last time I've been here. Caroline and I are still together to Damon's surprise I'm sure. She's been a little strange lately—a little wound up. She cares about what happens to everyone so she's being finicky even about the small stuff. Which I guess means she isn't being strange at all. Caroline is just being Caroline," Stefan ended with a short laugh.

"Listen, I don't know if Damon visits or not. I asked him if he does recently and he didn't answer. He's so damn stubborn. I think not coming is his way of at least trying to move on. He's living. Elena, I've never seen him this way. When he's around Bonnie, he's oddly human. He ends up smiling in this way that's so..." Stefan stopped short and then sighed. "He's just happy now. You'll see when you wake up, how much humanity exists in him because of her. You're going to come home to a better man."

"Alaric is better. A lot better. He's eating and sleeping and speaking now. I remember being like him, locking myself up. Silenced. He lost everything. I still worry about him but I put my trust in Damon to make sure that Alaric is fine. I trust Damon to sit and let Alaric be miserable until he isn't miserable anymore. It's working. It's been working for a few years now. Whether or not he wants to fall in love again is up to him though. He's not a vampire anymore, there's only so little time to find all that you want in the world."

Stefan took a deep breath. If he allowed himself to stay too long, people will start to question where he is and why is he going there so often. "Elena... five more minutes. OK?"

The ache in his chest doubled. He hated leaving. When he wasn't in the tomb, it felt more like Elena was gone for good. This way he could be close, he could pretend that all he had to do was nudge her shoulder and she would stir like she used to when they were dating and Elena selfishly used his chest to rest on whenever she was tired. She was spoiled, she knew Stefan would never say no, not in words or action. He'd touch her shoulder and shake it gently; she would groan and press her face into his neck. "Five more minutes," she'd moan. She confessed once that sleeping with him was her only comfort in a world where suddenly danger was at every turn.

She used to take comfort in him.

He counted the seconds and then the minutes and finally, his five minutes were up. He stood and stretched out. He'd be there again soon but leaving never got easier. Stefan wondered if he'd ever really get used to not having Elena around. Was he always going to feel this splintered pain in his chest. More time, more years, he needed another near decade. Maybe he'd be okay then.

It's still too soon.

* * *

"Stefan, what's your girlfriend doing in our house?" Damon questioned when we entered the kitchen. He wouldn't admit though that when he smelled breakfast, he naturally assumed Bonnie had come for a visit. 7 years since 1994 and it still felt like only yesterday that Bonnie had finally made it back to him.

"I'm making breakfast." Caroline answered with a matching tone that read aggravated. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Damon looked at Caroline as if she'd gone crazy. "Hey, Blondie, what's with you? You and my brother get into it? I'm sure a nice blow job will do the trick," Damon said before pointing to what Caroline had already started on. "No mediocre breakfast platter needed."

"Screw. You."

Damon wasn't going to ruin her mood though. She didn't have the nerve to bring up her feelings with words but she was great with action. Stefan still lived with his brother despite having dated her for 3 years. She had to move forward and make it clear that they should be living together. They should be considering that what they had was going to last.

"Alright Caroline. Don't say I've never given you good advice."

"The last time you gave me advice I turned my humanity off."

"I gave you the real Caroline. Not my fault you couldn't handle it," Damon shot back, though he did still feel a tinge of guilt. Caroline losing her mother and then her humanity is very clearly the worse memories of her life. Damon knew how that felt, tenfold.

"I don't know how you two manage to end up in a room together all the time." Stefan said with a laugh. "And my girlfriend is always allowed here. Have you ever thought about moving out?" Stefan asked Damon who glared back.

"Or, here's a better idea, you two love birds move out and leave me the hell alone."

Caroline's eyes widened. She turned to Stefan, hoping to gauge his reaction and was quickly disappointed. Stefan chuckled as if the idea was absurd.

Caroline slammed the baking dish on the table, breaking it and gaining the full attention of the Salvatore brothers.

"I'm leaving!"

"What about breakfast?" Stefan asked, still confused.

"Make it yourself!"

Caroline stormed off and Stefan went after her without a second thought. Stefan flashed forward and caught up to her in no time.

"Hey, wait, Caroline. Talk to me," Stefan pleaded as he caught up to her outside. He considered himself to be someone who was careful not to hurt the people he loved. It definitely wasn't OK for Caroline to be upset if he could help it.

"How could you _laugh_ Stefan?! What's so funny about us living together?"

"Nothing if it's going to make you upset."

"Stefan, do you think of me? Do you think of us, ever?" Caroline asked but hadn't waited for Stefan to respond. "Do you think of me beyond today and tomorrow? Because I do. I want us to live together Stefan."

"Is that it?" Stefan asked calmly but Caroline still firmly believed Stefan had no idea of the magnitude of the conversation.

"I want to be with you Stefan, _forever_ ," She declared in a crystal clear voice. "But you haven't even thought about it."

"I'm sorry... I didn't know that we weren't fine. I didn't know you wanted more." Stefan said pitifully. For as long as he knew Caroline, he didn't know Caroline at all. Of course, she would want to live with him. Stefan figured out now that it maybe went beyond that. Caroline must have wanted to get married too. She'd want an old fashioned but extravagant wedding. She'd want a house and give Stefan no say on the kind of furniture they'd use in the living room because as refined as Stefan was, decorating wasn't his forte. She'd be sweet about it though, telling Stefan to relax while she transformed their new home into one full of light, love, and a warm color palette.

This was her dream... and Stefan laughed at it.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "But it's not too late. We can do that, all of that."

"I don't want you to go along with it just because I want to Stefan. I want you to want it."

Stefan stiffened. This conversation didn't feel right. He was on the edge of losing her and he knew it. "Do you want to know... the last time I thought about living with someone?"

"With Elena obviously."

"Markos put it in our heads. He made Elena and I literally envision everything we've ever wanted in life. A human life together, the proposal, the wedding, our children... everything was perfect. It felt _real_. And then we woke up."

"I don't really want to hear about your what ifs with Elena."

Elena definitely wasn't the person to bring up in the middle of this particular conversation. She refused to be the insecure girl she was in high school, constantly starved for the love and attention Elena got. She was her own person now, she had her own light, and she'll be damned if Stefan made her feel like she was 17 again but he's the only person who even had that power.

"I'm telling you that was the last time I ever thought about those things. It's not that I'd hate forever with you but I always thought..." Stefan stopped short when tear formed in Caroline's blue eyes. "Please don't," he held her face and wiped away her tears. He couldn't hurt her again, he didn't want to. He kissed her cheek even though he still felt just as helpless as she did.

"I don't want to feel this way."

"Then move in with me," Stefan smiled.

Stefan kissed her but the both of them felt it afterward, the dissatisfaction that lingered on their lips. Caroline took a step back and couldn't help but look away with her fingertips over her mouth. What was she thinking? They were immortal vampires. Why had she said forever when it definitely meant less than when a human said it? Stefan wouldn't stay, not until the end of time.

"Caroline, nothing has to change. We can go on like we have been. We'll be fine, we always are." The beginning of their relationship was rocky but Stefan waited like he promised he would. He was a patient man as he claimed to be. He went on as earnestly as he could and got a great love in the end.

Caroline shook her head. "I think it's my turn to say sorry. From the very beginning, when we first met, I already had all these feelings for you. I swore I knew you; I planned our wedding in my head like some sort of crazy person. I was always—always trying to get you to feel more for me than you were capable of and that's my fault."

"Caroline, please don't do this."

Caroline's eyes were wide and tear stricken. "You'll always be the one I waited for to love me, and who waited for me to openly love him back. But I don't want to have to work so hard, Stefan. I don't want to be obsessed with trying to figure out how to make you want me for the rest of my immortal life. Forever is a long time... I get why it might sound scary. But I'm not afraid and I want someone to be unafraid with me."

Stefan said nothing. He could tell Caroline already made up her mind about this but she'd gotten something wrong. He wasn't afraid of forever, not in the same way she described it. His dream of living a regular life just hadn't changed. He wanted a human forever, the forever that eventually ended. He thought being with Caroline and being in love was enough. It was enough for 4 years. He would have been fine with another 4 or 400.

"I don't want to break up," he confessed. "You make me so happy, Caroline. Living together, getting married, I stopped thinking about all of that but I would do it if it's what you wanted."

"And that's not what I want!" She raised her voice. She looked into Stefan's pleading eyes and shook her head. "You don't even see it... do you?"

Stefan shook his head.

"You'll never love me as much as you used to love her. You're never going to want the same things again. And maybe I can fill up the space between now and the end of time but I want nothing less than a passionate love, Stefan. I deserve it and you can't give it to me." Caroline took another step back. She wouldn't have had known that morning that she was going to be single before noon. She definitely wouldn't have known that she would be the one to end things.

"I can't change your mind, can I?" Stefan didn't want to admit defeat. Caroline thought of him as a man who could never truly love again and he was sure he was past that. He waited for her to be past it and it still came around full circle to ruin him. What could he do now that all she could think was that he'll never love her enough?

Caroline shook her head. Her blonde hair shone in the in sunlight and Stefan wondered if he would ever have the chance to openly admire the little things he liked about Caroline.

"We could be friends," Caroline said after a moment of silence, her voice significantly more chipper.

"Yeah, we could." Stefan agreed solemnly.

Caroline left and when Stefan walked back inside the mansion, Damon was already holding up a glass for him. Stefan shook his head but took the drink away.

"I hear you're single again."

"Yeah, what of it?" Stefan asked, not surprised that Damon was listening in.

"Oh, nothing, baby brother. Just know that I'm here for you. I'll round up all the pretty 17 year olds in the neighborhood and I'll let you have your pick."

"Damon," Stefan said in warning.

"You can do it Stefan. Go back to high school for the millionth time, get that mediocre public school education, and fall in love with a bright eyed young woman." Damon wagged his eye brows suggestively.

"That's a terrible idea. One that I'll follow sans the falling in love part once I move out of Mystic Falls. Besides, I only went back for Elena last time. I could do other things with myself."

"Yeah you can get you're old job back as a mechanic," Damon quipped and then took a sip of bourbon. "Let's face it Stefan, our lives are only as interesting as the stone cold women we fall for."

"That's not true. We're interesting, you and I..." Stefan waved between them.

"Uh huh, I'm going to go find Bonnie," Damon said after an unbearably long pause.

"Right," Stefan responded immediately, not wanting that awkward silence to go on any longer. Before Damon could leave though Stefan asked, "is Bonnie one of the stone cold ones?"

"She definitely comes from a long line of crazy witches Stefan." Damon said and Stefan could almost hear the satisfied grin his brother must have had on his way out the door.

* * *

"Say _ahh_ ," Bonnie held up her spoon full of strawberry ice cream to Matt's mouth. "Come on. I know you want to."

Matt laughed and opened his mouth for her ice cream. As much as he loved chocolate, the sweetness of strawberry was too much for his stomach. Still, he ate it.

Bonnie was a surprisingly sweet and sexy girlfriend. She flirted with him openly, used her tongue to lick her lips suggestively, and gave him molten hot stares from across the room whenever they were apart. Her kisses were bursting with power and heat and her touches were full of intent. It was less of the calm, simple relationship he expected it to be.

"See? Delicious." Bonnie grinned.

It's only been two weeks but Evelyn had decided that Matt Donovan was her favorite human. She was glad she got to play with him for this long. If he was a man of power and influence, a man who could support her lavish life dreams, she'd keep him around. Instead, Matt was a small town sheriff with small town dreams.

"Not to my taste but I'll take it coming from you."

"Strawberry isn't my favorite either," she put her cup of ice cream to the side. "I'm more into chocolate too," she looked Matt in the eye. "Get me some?"

Matt chuckled. This girl was unbelievable. "Buy you a second cup of ice cream?"

"Won't you?" She smiled sweetly and Matt caved in. He was putty in her small soft hands. He got up to order another cup. "Thank you!" She called out.

 _'You're having a lot of fun,'_ Bonnie said. Evelyn spent all day teasing and touching Matt and Bonnie could do nothing but watch how thrilled Matt is to see her despite the clear change in personality. He wasn't catching on like she hoped he would. He never commented on it anyway.

 _'Well, he is a beautiful man. I must have my fill before I leave this place. On another note, is it necessary that Damon call you all the time? I know you two are supposed to be dear to each other but there must be something else to take up his time. A new hobby perhaps.'_

 _'Damon bats for very few people but you know that already.'_

 _'Right. Besides his healthy affection for you, there's Stefan, and Alaric. Caroline is the only one sane enough to still hate him at least a little for all of Damon's dirty deeds.'_

"One chocolate cup of ice cream for you my dear," Matt set the cup down in front of Bonnie. "Thanks to you, the guy at the register thinks I'm totally whipped."

"Don't worry about him. Who doesn't like whipped things? Whipped cream for example," Bonnie joked.

"Nice," Matt whispered before kissing Bonnie on the mouth. "But I'm not whipped cream. I'm an unmovable bolder." Bonnie snorted. "Oh? You don't believe me?"

"Oh, no, I believe you. That's why I like you."

"That's why I adore you. Bonnie, you've been through so much and it never beat you. You're tough as hell and it's amazing to me that you and I get to have this completely normal thing without having to deal with some new monster rolling into town."

 _'Why are you crying?'_

"Yeah, it's nice for once. Not having to work so hard to stay alive."

Matt wiped Bonnie's tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry."

"I'm not crying," she laughed and turned away from him. "There's something in my eyes!"

Matt smiled, his blue eyes were sparkling.

 _'Wow, what an act, Evelyn. 5 stars!'_

"Hate to interrupt the gross fest, but Bonnie, we need to talk," Damon said with an edge to his voice.

 _'I told you to stop ignoring him,'_ Bonnie said, glad to see that Damon at least figured there must be something up with how much distance there was between them now.

"I'm _busy,_ " Bonnie growled.

"Hey Matt," Damon looked Matt in the eye and compelled him to take a long walk.

Bonnie huffed. Vampires were such brutes. "What do you want?"

"Oh nothing." Damon took a seat across form her. "Good thing vervien doesn't grow out here anymore hm? I could compel your little boyfriend to walk off a cliff."

Bonnie smiled. "But you wouldn't. Because then I'd hate you and wouldn't hesitate to set you on fire."

"Touché."

Bonnie got up and took a seat right next to Damon. "You like me, I get it. But you need more friends."

 _'That's not true.'_

"I'm not some pet that's run away, Damon. Give me some damn space."

"Oh Bonnie, we've grown past giving each other personal space a long time ago like when you followed me to Amsterdam and anywhere else I happen to be for the last 7 years."

"Well aren't you sick of me yet?"

Damon smiled despite himself. "Nope."

Bonnie smiled and leaned in closer to the vampire and whispered, "It's going to break your heart when I'm gone huh?"

Matt returned from his walk around the block. And sat down, completely unaware of what he did and why he did it.

"Welcome back Matt." Bonnie said.

 _'I'll have to get some Verein for our boy. He's so powerless to Damon's brutish ways,' Evelyn thought. 'I'll have to call in a favor.'_

Damon stood. "This isn't over," he said to her before walking away.

Evelyn fell asleep that night, allowing Bonnie to roam free on a separate plane of existence. It actually felt like she was a ghost all over again. She made her way out of her home and straight to Damon's.

She attempted summoning enough power to somehow break through to the real world. If Jeremy could do it for her then she definitely could do it for herself.

She thought to write a note but how could she explain what was happening to her? How could she break it down to a few sentences? She struggled to pick up a pen to no avail for several hours. What was she missing? She'd hit the wall in frustration if she physically could.

"Damn it..."

She left Damon sleeping in his bedroom to wander the house. She found Stefan, not in bed, but up writing at his desk. She leaned over his shoulder to see that he was actually writing in a journal.

 _'I don't know how to face her. I spent so many years believing she was just want I needed and that she'd save me from myself somehow. But I'm alone again with no one else to blame.. I can't even bring myself to see Elena this time. It'll be like proving Caroline right.'_

She told herself not to go on reading. She had no idea Stefan starting writing again. Curiosity got to her though and she stood behind him and watched his pen glide across the page as he went on in perfectly practiced script.

 _'I refuse to believe the feelings I had for Elena has cursed me. I'm still a man capable of loving someone else with my entire heart. I say it over and over again and yet Caroline sees differently. She doesn't believe in me anymore. I'm starting not to believe in myself.'_

What happened between Stefan and Caroline? Shouldn't the both of them be living the dream?

 _'I should've proposed to her.'_

The truth shone then. Of course. Bonnie shook her head. Damn it Caroline, you didn't have to be so rash.

"And then I stared off into the distance and wondered how life could be so cruel," Damon said theatrically as he entered the writing room.

"Hello to you too Damon."

"I can hear your brooding from the other room. And I'm trying to sleep so keep it down next time." Stefan shook his head and dropped his pen on top of his open journal. "Heartbreak is a son of a bitch, Stefan."

"Is that why you're up? Thoughts of Bonnie leaving you for Matt made you restless?"

"Very funny. My lady is coming back in 60 some years, and I don't want her coming back to face you being such a sad sack. So perk up. Blondie dumped you, big deal."

"Says the guy who went on a rampage when Elena dumped him."

"My memory is a little foggy from that time," he lied.

Stefan chuckled. "Of course it is. It must be nice to conveniently forget things."

"This Caroline thing must be getting to you though, haven't seen you writing in your little diary for some years now."

Bonnie stood in the room and watched over Damon and Stefan having their heart to heart. She sighed deeply. She couldn't do this again. She didn't want to be a ghost, she definitely didn't want Evelyn be the only one could ever interact with for the next hundred years.

She'll never stop missing her old life.

Damon smiled at Stefan and her heart panged. The last thing she said to him was some lie about wanting space.

"I didn't mean it…" She muttered and Damon continued to talk to Stefan. "Damn it!" Bonnie cursed and turned into a standing case, tipping it over and watched in shook as it shattered against the floor.

Damon and Stefan turned to see their priceless vase on the floor.

"What the hell was that?" Damon asked when he turned back to Stefan who mirrored his confused expression. Bonnie stared down at her shaking hands, her eyes wide in astonishment. She gasped. It wasn't impossible!

"We're not being haunted by some ghost are we? If so, I'm pretty sure it's you they're after," Stefan grumbled as he moved at stand next to Damon with his hands on his hips.

"As true as that might be… I'm still not cleaning it up." He slapped Stefan's shoulder and moved to leave the room.

Bonnie followed Damon back to his bedroom and then sat next to him on his bed. Damon sat quietly for a moment. As much as he knew saving Bonnie all those years ago was the right thing to do, going to bed alone every night was getting to him. At least before, he had Bonnie to wake up out of her sleep and talk to her on the phone until the sun peaked over the horizon. Now he didn't have the love of his life or his best friend.

And missing Bonnie seemed worse somehow. How was that possible?

Bonnie watched his solemn face. "I know you're tired too, Damon. I know you're sick of being so alone. You want to be happy and in love… me too. Evelyn's messing with everyone's heads. Even with mine."

Damon let out a heavy sigh and finally got himself into bed. He stared up at the ceiling, unaware that Bonnie had crawled into bed next to him, and then when he turned on his right side, Bonnie was there turned on her left.

"This isn't weird, is it?" Bonnie asked aloud, suddenly feeling shy and sort of giddy. She watched Damon doze off, her heart raced as the striking blue of his eyes slowly shut. That foggy emotion she felt whenever she was alone with Damon unexpectedly cleared up.


	6. Leverage

**Chapter 6  
"Leverage"**

"Is this all the money you have?" Evelyn said when she checked Bonnie's bank account. "Hardly enough for the lifestyle I'm used to."

' _This is small town rich,'_ Bonnie responded dryly. She found out that as soon as Evelyn woke up, she would be back inside her head again, reduced to being a thought in her head.

By small town standards, Bonnie Bennett really was rich. She owned a successful clothing store. She locked in a demographic of teen aged girls and sophisticated 30 somethings. She'll never have to worry about whether or not she'd be able to pay her bills. However, by Evelyn's standards, Bonnie was too poor to function.

"I want a new house," Evelyn huffed as she trekked through Bonnie's family home. "Where's the glamour? How is this the house of a single business woman?"

Bonnie said nothing, choosing not to entertain Evelyn's haughty attitude.

"Who has the nicest house in this town?"

More silence.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Fine. But Bonnie, I'm quite viscous. If you don't cooperate, I might have to get violent."

 _'Violent with who?'_

Just then, a bell sounded off throughout the house. It was Caroline, no doubt, here for some reassuring words from Bonnie about Stefan.

 _'Oh no,'_ Bonnie whispered.

When Bonnie opened the door, Caroline held up two pints of rocky road ice cream. "Girl talk, now." She walked right into Bonnie's house.

 _'Don't you hurt her,'_ Bonnie growled.

'Why would I? It's not as if you've been traveling while I slept, trying to break the border and tip the Salvatore brothers off right?'

 _'How..?'_

'Because I'm smarter than you, Bonnie. I would have left you alone but you actually managed to tip over that pretty blue vase last time with the power of love. Just like Jeremy, right? The boy who loved you and left even before you could make it back.'

"I broke up with Stefan," Caroline blurted out as she flopped down into Bonnie's couch.

" Why?" Bonnie grabbed one of the pints of ice cream and sat next to Caroline. "I thought you two were really going the distance."

"I wanted too much. I had to turn off my humanity to get him to think of me seriously. I forced him to turn off his humanity..."

"That was a long time ago, Care. You've moved past that."

"I thought so too... Stefan was being his usual self. My feelings for him just can't compare to his feelings for her. I'm just so tired of... I don't even know anymore. So eat this ice cream and tomorrow we'll hit the gym to burn it off."

Bonnie hummed in agreement.

After several minutes of silence, Caroline spoke again, in what Evelyn could only describe as a whimper. "Did I make a mistake?"

"Breaking up with Stefan? Of course. But you've got an incredibly long list of failed relationships and it was bound to happen again. Even with Mr. Polite and Perfect."

Caroline frowned deeply. "Bonnie. What the hell? That was mean."

"Your soap opera dramas are boring. Well, Klaus wasn't boring. Whatever happened to Tyler?"

"What's with you?" She jumped to get feet and put her hands on her hips. "When did you turn into such a bitch?"

Bonnie stood. "Truth hurts but not more than this," she grinned and used her powers to give Caroline an aneurysm. Caroline screamed and crouched to the floor, holding her head. "God, Caroline, how pathetic can you be? All you do is talk about yourself and think about yourself unless you're dating someone, then you get talk about them all day. I'm sick of it."

"Bonnie, please!" Caroline cried out in tears. "Stop!"

Evelyn had no remorse, she intensified the assault and Caroline started bleeding from her nose. Her bones literally started to curl inside her. Every nerve in her body sounded off and it felt like death.

 _'Caroline!'_ Bonnie screamed. She never felt so helpless. _'Please! I'll do whatever you want... I'll behave! Please!'_

"That's better," Evelyn uttered with a smirk. "God that felt good. I haven't used my power much since possessing you." Evelyn flicked her wrist and snapped Caroline's neck. "I don't want her waking up just yet."

Evelyn then walked down Bonnie's rickety staircase to the basement. Behind her, Caroline's body floated in tow.

"This is a good spot."

 _'What are you going to do?'_

Bonnie couldn't physically shed tears but Evelyn could feel that she would if she could. Poor thing, spending so many years as everyone's magical band aid. She doesn't even know that they weren't worth her consideration.

"You're a woman who likes to have a plan, right? You're the little witch that could, after all. I'm also a witch with a plan. You won't play nice until I gain a bit more leverage. Anyone would have been fine, Damon, Caroline, or Stefan." Using her powers, Evelyn pressed Caroline's body to a back wall. She found a broom at the corner and snapped it in half with her knee. "Do you want to know what I learned from practicing voodoo? It's that the old ways of doing things still get the job done." She ran the wooden piece through Caroline's stomach. Evelyn kept at it until both of Caroline's wrist and ankles were staked.

Caroline's blood ran from her wrist and down the walls.

 _'You're a monster...'_

"Well, of course. You wouldn't understand. It's all sad, every part of life. Getting by without a scratch is impossible. But look at her," Evelyn took a step back to look at Caroline's mutilated body pinned to the wall. Her bones were curled, making her legs oddly shaped. With her neck snapped, her head lulled forward, blood spilled from her nose, hands, and feet. "Vampires are a durable species. All this and she won't die. We are the creators of this abomination. It's our price to pay that they are so resilient. I won't stake her heart as long as you keep your word."

 _'They'll come looking for her. She has friends, she has family.'_

"Yes, yes, I know. They'll never find her though. And with a little white lie from the ever trustworthy Bonnie Bennett, they won't even think to come down here," Evelyn said as she carefully walked back up the stairs. When she got to the top, they heard Caroline screaming again. She'd regain consciousness only to find herself crucified. She could hear Bonnie talking aloud. "Because Caroline ran away with a broken heart and doesn't want to be found."

Bonnie put on skinny black jeans, a red blouse, and a leather jacket. She would set her sights on the Lockwood mansion. She'll live in style for another week and then high tail it out of town.

"It's a shame there aren't any wolves in this town anymore. Tyler took his genes with him. But the Lockwood line isn't pure. Once we're out of here, you'll see what an original werewolf is. They're classy and dignified. And, unlike the original vampires, they're all natural."

 _'I didn't ask for a history lesson.'_

Evelyn laughed. "Right."

"Hello?" A woman approached her. She was an older woman, with grey hair pulled back, blue eyes, and thin lips that pointed down at the corners. "May I help you?"

"Yes, I would like live here." Bonnie looked around, taking in the beautiful mansion. This was much more to Evelyn's taste.

"Taylor Lockwood is still the owner of this mansion. He requested that this mansion become a public sight. It's not for sale."

"Oh, really?" Bonnie walked over to one of the many old war swords on display. "I didn't think I would have to get my hands dirty so soon."

The woman backed up. "Put that down," she said carefully but it was clear the she was inching backwards toward the exit. "You don't want to do this!"

"I just don't feel like being told no," she raised the sword and pointed it toward the older woman. The woman ran then only to be stabbed in the back. Her last memory would be the sight of the tip of the sword through her chest covered in her own blood.

 _'Why?! You're a witch! Even if you wanted to kill her... You could've have done it without... Without...'_

"Right. I don't have to get my hands dirty, not literally anyway."

Evelyn spent the day rearranging furniture and wall decorations to her liking. She talked aloud about Lockwood history, the good charitable bit, the bad bout of affairs Lockwood men have committed, and the ugly 200 years of slave ownership. There wasn't much she didn't know. She'd seen enough through her own eyes.

"There," she took a step back and took a good look at her work. "Isn't this nice? Don't you want to live this way forever?"

 _'I'd rather die,'_ Bonnie hissed.

"Well that's not good for either of us. Maybe I'll come around to learning how to erase your consciousness so that you'll effectively not exist anymore."

 _'I'm tired of you hurting people.'_

"And I'm tired of having such a cynical inner voice in my head. Now perk up, or Caroline doesn't get fed."

It's been a few days since Evelyn trapped Caroline in Bonnie's basement. Evelyn fed her a few drops of blood a day but the vampire lived in extreme pain day in and day out, pure agony. It was no way to live and Bonnie couldn't even prove that it wasn't the real her putting her through all of that suffering.

"Now what do we say?"

 _'Sorry.'_

"That's better."

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. It was Stefan. "Bonnie? Can you hear me?"

"What's going on?"

"I haven't seen Caroline in a while and I wanted to ask if you have seen her around."

Bonnie sighed. "There's something I have to tell you Stefan..."

"What is it? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's just fine. She also doesn't want to see you for your obvious reasons." Evelyn sat on the arm of her new couch. "She really felt like you were being dishonest."

"I know that... I know she thinks that way. I've been as honest as I could have been, believe me. I don't want her to ever feel like I was never 100 percent hers."

"I get that. Just give her some space—real space—because I know you don't want another episode of the both of you running around without your humanity on."

"Did she...?" Stefan couldn't even finish his sentence and Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"No, it's still on. Just give her the time she's asking for."

"Maybe you're right."

"Am I ever wrong?"

Stefan laughed. "Actually, no, this is why I won't go after her. But you'll tell me if she calls you?"

"Of course. Bye, dear," Evelyn sang and then hung up. "Stefan is such a sweetie."

 _'So you got want you wanted. Satisfied yet? Can the games end already?'_

"You're bored too now huh? Might as well, I'm bored too. Let's go feed Caroline one last time."

As Evelyn strolled through Mystic Falls as if she owned the whole town, she felt a chill run through her spine. She stopped short and looked over her shoulder, down the quiet street that leads back to the Lockwood mansion.

 _'What are you looking at?'_

"Shh!" Evelyn was so distraught she forgot not to speak aloud to Bonnie while they were out in public. "Somethings coming." She turned back to the road ahead of her. Some teenagers were out; a few shops were still open. The sun was beginning to set and the already quiet town would soon be dead silent.

She waited too long.

* * *

Evelyn Aronson wasn't an idiot. She had her cards and she played them well. However, meeting Matt Donovan had derailed her plans as well as her tightly controlled emotions. On the couch at Matt's terribly small home, Bonnie lied on top of Matt's chest as they watched TV. Matt's crummy home was far beneath her and yet she still couldn't help but find it all terribly endearing. She would have so little time with him if she didn't do something about it.

"Have you ever thought about leaving this town?" Bonnie asked.

The question was sudden to Matt, who hadn't considered leaving Mystic Falls for years. "No, not recently," he answered honestly and didn't notice change the slight change in Bonnie's face when he did.

"Don't you want anything that this town can't give you?"

Matt sat up straight. "Are you ok? This is surprising coming from you."

"Yeah, I was just... curious. Maybe you want to see what the rest of the world has to offer."

Matt laughed, it was a bitter sound. He remembered his time with Rebecca and how it only led to being caught up with Nadia. He didn't need to see any more than he's already had. "I've seen the rest of the world Bon, it isn't all that's it cracked up to be. There's nothing like being home."

Bonnie bit her lip. "You're right."

"This is our town, we've been protecting it for so long," he touched her cheek. "I get why you must be tired of it all. But we're survivors!"

Bonnie grinned. "Yeah, we are." Matt's enthusiasm was infectious.

"I even managed to stay a human the whole time, bonus points," he said with a laugh, making Evelyn's heart pound. She kissed him then and Matt let her. Matt knew by now the kind of hunger behind Bonnie's kisses were like and wasn't going to deny her what she wanted. She climbed on top of him and straddled his hips.

It was then that his phone rang—his work phone. Matt took forever to answer with Bonnie's body pressed against him, she whined when he started to resist her, holding her by her waist to stop them from gyrating over his pelvis.

"Sheriff," Matt wheezed and then cleared his throat. "Uh, Sheriff Donovan."

"Sheriff, there's been a murder," the voice on the other end of the phone was distressed.

"What?!"

Matt turned around to Bonnie who grew impatient and started to take her clothes off herself. Matt bit his lip. What a time for another murder case. He listened to his deputy's reports on the situation as he watched Bonnie work on the buttons of her tight jeans.

 _God._

Matt shook his head. "I'll be right over."

"You're leaving..." She said, watching him hang his up phone.

Matt frowned. "I've got to. Listen Bonnie, I didn't want to say this earlier; I didn't want to worry you. But there's been a whole lot of mysterious disappearances and even deaths. I mean, they've been brutal."

"Don't leave me. Not tonight, Matt."

"It's ok. I'll walk you home. Lock your doors when you get in," he cupped her face and kissed her. He looked her right in the eye with an expression so torn Evelyn's heart couldn't help but sink into her gut. "I wouldn't want anything happening to you." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I, uh, I care about you, Bonnie."

From her emerald eyes, came waterfalls. What a horror the night had turned into, crying in front of a human being as if she was the weak one, as if she was young and dim and had just experienced her first fall to the hard ground, scrapping her knees. She was powerful. She was a survivor. She hadn't cried in over a hundred years and what was it for, the compassion of a man with intolerably blue eyes?

Matt kissed her again. "I'll be fine. We can walk you home or you can stay here tonight."

 _'Go ahead Evelyn, let Matt walk you to the Lockwood mansion. That's home right?'_

"I'll stay here," she said against Matt's lips.

"Put your clothes back on or else I can't leave," Matt laughed.

And then Matt finally left. Evelyn and Bonnie were alone again.

 _'Looks like those murders are catching up to you.'_

"No, they're catching up to _you_ , Bonnie. What a legacy to leave behind. Bonnie Sheila Bennett, mass murderer. I'm sure you care about that don't you? I certainly don't."

Evelyn stood and tried her hand at tidying up the place.

"Matt is a bit of a pig. Does no one in this town have a maid?"

 _'They're going to trace the murders back to you.'_

"They just might. I'll admit the last one was... Sloppy. It was against all I stand for."

She picked up a photo Matt had in the living room of his sister. "She was a sad story huh? Until the very end, she never got it together. She almost took Matts life with her."

 _'Do you really not care that Matt is about to blow the lid on this?'_

Evelyn laughed. "I have very few fears Bonnie."

 _'Like whatever you saw the other day?'_

Evelyn hesitated to respond for the first time since she trapped Bonnie in her own body. Then she smiled bitterly.

"It's not what I saw, it's what I felt."

 _'The wind?'_

Evelyn laughed. "You really are naive to the world of magic. It wasn't the wind that I felt, it was the sensation that I was being tracked. The same reason I couldn't get close enough to Lucy is the same reason Laurent hasn't caught me. But he knows where I am. He's coming, for sure."

 _'Who is Laurent?'_

"A man I used to think was fascinating."

She reapplied her red lipstick and put on her shoes. She waited too long. She knew exactly what it all meant. Getting swept up in Matts pace had caught her off guard and there was nothing to be done about her time wasted on him. She could only switch gears. If Laurent was coming here, then she'd need a distraction while she got away. Laurent isn't a man of mercy after all. Not a single person she crossed paths with has survived Laurent hot on her heels.

"He'll level this town."

' _Why?! If you've already left why should he bother with the rest of us?'_

"Laurent is a mad man," Evelyn muttered with a frown. "Why else would I be running from him?"

Bonnie said nothing.

"Time to go," Evelyn said after a deep sigh.

Evelyn grew quiet over the next several days. Every time she felt something in the air, she had what Bonnie could only be described as a panic attack. Last night it rained and Evelyn hid in the basement with Caroline who never stopped moaning in pain. She chanted on a foreign tongue the entire night, her eyes never leaving the door to the basement.

Whatever she wanted out of the house never came as far as Bonnie knew.

Bonnie grew quiet as well. With no control over her body, her only way of coping was to remain stoic. She had to pretend not to hear the screams of her friend in the basement, not to feel Matt's kisses, and not be bothered whenever Evelyn gave Damon the cold shoulder.

Bonnie figured Evelyn was desperate now. Her usual cool demeanor was something of the past now.

' _What are we doing here?'_ Bonnie asked, speaking up for the first time in a long time. Evelyn ignored her though and rang the bell to the Salvatore mansion. _'Evelyn!'_

"I'm going to make it out of here alive—escape to New Orleans and recruit the protection of Niklaus Mikaelson. He failed me the first time; he won't survive letting me down again."

' _What does being here have to do with it?'_

"You ask too many questions."

Stefan opened the door. "Bonnie? Hey. I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time."

"That's because you haven't. May I come in?"

Stefan was confused at first but then stepped to the side to allow Bonnie in. He felt it again; a nerve in his chest telling him that something was definitely going on with her.

Damon was in the living room drinking when Bonnie walked in. His eyes caught hers and the tension was clear. Damon hadn't spoken much on Bonnie's cold shoulder, putting most of the blame on her sudden affection for Matt Donovan.

"Afternoon, Damon." Bonnie started in an unusually sweet tone.

"Um, do you two need space? I can leave you know," Stefan said, hoping to escape the heavy atmosphere.

"No, I need the both of you. I'm in trouble," Bonnie confessed, gaining the full attention of both brothers.

"In trouble how?" Stefan asked.

"A man named Laurent Vitkosky is going to visit Mystic Falls. I need him dead or else I'm dead."

"Why the hell does this guy want you dead?" Damon growled, immediately at Bonnie's side.

With Damon and Stefan standing in front of her, she took a step back and cleared her throat. "My name is Evelyn Aronson and Laurent wants something from me. I refuse to give it to him."

Stefan squinted at the witch. "What?"

"Who is Evelyn?" Damon asked.

Bonnie smiled. "I've taken possession of Bonnie's body. I've had full control of her every action for over a month now."

"Bonnie?" Damon looked her in the eye. "You in there?"

"I just said so didn't I!?" She snapped. "I've been possessing Bonnie since her party."

Stefan nodded. So that's what it was, Evelyn had been controlling Bonnie this entire time. He hated that he couldn't go with his gut and approach her about it, not that he could have proven anything. They were definitely friends and he couldn't be by her side for this. He promised that he would and he broke it.

"If you want Bonnie to remain safe, I suggest you prepare for a fight. Or don't. Literally, don't give him warning. He's a powerful man; the only hand you can play is that of surprise."

The room grew quiet. Bonnie took a seat then. The brothers stared at her, warily.

"We get rid of your ex-boyfriend and you'll let Bonnie go?" Damon said.

Bonnie nodded. "I'll find a new body, yes."

' _Are you serious?'_ Bonnie asked. Bonnie had a feeling gaining control of her body was easier said than done. Evelyn definitely wasn't going let her go even if Damon and Stefan did what she wanted.

"How do we know you're not lying?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie grinned. "I'll give you both a special gift. Stefan, take a walk. In my basement, there's a blonde down there you might like to see. I'll let you be the hero. Maybe she'll take you back."

"Caroline…" Stefan turned to Damon. "Take care of this," he said before storming off.

"What did you do to Caroline?" Damon asked once Stefan was gone.

"I used her for leverage. Now in exchange for your help I'll give you something nice too."

Her expression melted from sinister into something incredibly sad. Damon's eyes widened, the difference between the two was so incredibly clear Damon hated himself for not seeing it all along. Down to her posture, Evelyn was wholly different from the real Bonnie.

She wrapped her arms around herself and then looked up at him. "Damon…?"

"Bonnie!"

She ran into Damon's open arms. He squeezed her tight. She felt safe then, wrapped up in him, her feet several inches off the ground. She had hope again, that somehow she'll be fine, as long as she had Damon looking after her.

He set her down on her feet and his hands held her face. She couldn't stop crying.

"She's killing people, Damon! So many people I can't stop her. She hurt Caroline. She's bleeding on the wall. I can't... My body doesn't belong to me," she was shaking. Her small hands tightly fisted his shirt.

Damon nodded, holding her face and wiping her tears with his thumb. Bonnie went on until she couldn't anymore, until all she had the strength to do was drop her head to his chest and heave. Damon rubbed her back, hating that she could go through so much all alone again. He hated seeing her cry.

"It's still your body, Bonnie. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right."

Bonnie nodded again with her face still pressed against him. She wasn't sure how much time Evelyn was going to give her.

"Damon, I'm sorry, for the things she said."

"I'm more pissed for not seeing that it couldn't be you," he said as he stroked her cheek. "You wouldn't ditch me so easily," he smiled a bit. "I bet you missed me."

"I did. I missed you a lot," she confessed. "I want... To stay..."

Damon's heart fell apart. He kissed her forehead and held her close. Bonnie sighed, she wanted to be kissed more and be told over and over again that things will be fine.

"We should call Stefan," Bonnie suggested as she took a step back from him. "Make sure they're alright."

"Stefan will take care of Caroline," Damon said and took Bonnie's hand to lead her to the living room. "Now sit."

Bonnie, confused, ignored the order and stared at him. Damon rolled his eyes and took a seat himself. "See? Now sit down."

She sat down next to him and he put his arm around her. She was stunned at first and then allowed her head to fall onto his shoulder. She remembered lying next to in bed next to Damon and watching him fall asleep.

"Damon?"

Damon grunted instead of responding with words.

"I lied about wanting space then..."

"I thought that was Evelyn."

"No, it was me; Evelyn was the one you danced with later that night."

"Should've known... you're not that great a dancer," Damon quipped, earning him a pinch on his side. He laughed it off.

"But I was the one who broke the vase. While she sleeps, I," she hesitated, "I don't know, it's like I'm a ghost. I broke the barrier and it ticked her off."

"So she took it out on Caroline."

"Exactly."

"So what's her deal with me?"

"She doesn't like vampires. Well, she likes Stefan. I think she just hates your guts."

"Noted," he said dryly.

Bonnie took his hand in hers. It's not particularly warm but it's big. The hand she held when they stood on the edge of oblivion and waited for death to fall upon them. She was fond of Damon's hands.

"What are you getting weird for?"

"Shut up, I'm not... I'm not getting weird." She lied.

Damon smiled and intertwined his fingers with hers. "If you wanted to get weird you should say so out loud."

"I'm not!" She squeaked and they fell into an easy laugh. They lived without this for over a month, this comfortable and quiet happiness.

"I just missed you, that's all."

"Same here."

"We should call Stefan now. I want to know how Caroline is doing. "Bonnie stood. It felt foreign now, to move with her body.

"As long as she's alive, she'll be fine."

Bonnie shook her head slowly. "I don't just mean her body. You didn't see it, Damon. Even when she does find out the truth, I doubt she'll just bounce back to being the old Caroline."

"We can hope for the best," Damon said honestly. Caroline wasn't his favorite person but it would be a lie if he said he didn't care about her either.

"Hope? Since when do you use that word?"

Damon smirked, "since you."

Bonnie couldn't stop her mouth from forming a stupid grin. "Careful Damon, you're getting awfully likeable."

"I've always been a loveable guy, Bonbon."


	7. Honest

**Chapter 7  
"Honest"**

Stefan flashed down the stairs of Bonnie's basement. He saw Caroline hanging on the wall and had to hold back the tug in his throat to empty his stomach. Caroline's face was covered in dried blood but her eyes continued to bleed. Her clothes were stiff and thoroughly stained red with the blood pouring from her stomach. Her wound won't heal itself if it can't close.

"Caroline!" He pulled the stakes from her hands, feet, and stomach. He caught her before she could fall to the ground. She held onto him, her body trembling violently on his arms. She was crying and so was he.

He took her in his arms and stood straight. He wouldn't think of how long she'd been there alone, or how naive he had to have been to believe Caroline was the type to go so far as to skip town to avoid him, he wouldn't even think if the trauma she'll feel for the rest of her immortal life. He saw red and as soon as Evelyn was out of Bonnie's body, he would personally rip her throat out.

He had to get Caroline out of the basement, out of the house, and away from this nightmare. Caroline's wounds began to heal as soon as she was free of the stakes but the pain still seemed endless. She felt uneasy and sick and for the first time since becoming a vampire, she felt weak.

Stefan brought Caroline to her house. He decided against bringing her back to his place from fear of what seeing Bonnie's face would do to Caroline's head.

She lied her down on the couch. "Don't leave!" She panicked.

Stefan lowered himself onto the couch next to her. "I'm not leaving," he whispered. She nodded rapidly and carefully eased herself onto Stefan's chest. "I'm not going anywhere," he cooed as he stroked her hair.

Stefan stayed on the couch with Caroline until she fell asleep. He thought about what Evelyn said earlier and wondered how powerful this person could be. He hadn't done anything personally to him or anyone he cared about yet the only way for Evelyn to leave is to kill him first. So much for Caroline's theory of Bonnie just being paranoid. This man must be powerful or else Evelyn would have gotten rid of him herself.

"Stefan?" Came in Caroline's weak voice from the couch. He had waited until she fell asleep before moving to another seat to think things over.

"Yes?" He answered.

"I'm thirsty."

"Right," Stefan said and jumped to his feet. Of course, she was hungry. "Wait here and I'll get you some blood."

"No," she groaned. "Don't leave. Please?"

Stefan nodded. "Ok, then I'm going to go make a phone call."

Stefan stepped into the hallway to call Damon even though he knew Caroline would hear it anyway. Damon picked up immediately.

"Stefan, Caroline needs blood."

"We all do, it's a perky trait of being a vampire Stefan," Damon said and Stefan could hear Bonnie scolding him on the other side. "Fine, why can't she get it herself?"

"Is that the real Bonnie?"

"Yeah, good old Evelyn is letting Bonnie have her own body for a while. Wasn't that nice of her?" He asked sarcastically.

"She's going through a lot right now, Damon, the both of us need to support her."

"Trust me, Caroline doesn't want my support."

"Then put Bonnie on the damn phone," Stefan roared.

There was a moment of silence and then Bonnie's sweet voice was on the line. "I don't know how much time she's going to let me have control of my body so tell me what you need."

"There are blood bags in the fridge. Caroline needs them."

"Can I... See her?" She was hopeful but not naive. She was ready to hear Stefan turn her down, let her know it was out of her hands from the beginning, and she silently nodded to his explanation. Caroline wasn't ready. He wasn't sure when she'll be ready either.

When she hung up, Damon already had a grim face on.

"It wasn't your fault." His words resonated with Stefan's

"It's never anyone's fault is it?" she breathed, feeling anxious all over again.

"She's going to get over it. She's been through worse. Me, for example," he smirked though it was nothing to be proud of. "She's not some delicate flower."

"As anyone told you that you're literally the worse at pep talks?"

"No but I'm sure you won't hesitate to remind me in the future."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and headed toward the basement. As she was going down the spiral staircase Evelyn spoke, scaring Bonnie a little, making her trip down a few steps.

Evelyn laughed, _'Try your hand at being a bit more graceful darling.'_

"What do you want?"

 _'I just thought I'd give you a warning. I'm taking back this body in exactly five minutes.'_

Bonnie panicked, running down the rest of the staircase and making an effort to run back to Damon. Once she got the blood bag, she sprinted up the steps. "Damon!" She yelled once she got back up the stairs.

Damon was putting on a light jacket. "What?"

Bonnie blinked at him. "Um, nothing."

"Ok?" He chuckled. "You ready to hit the road?"

"Yeah, I am," she walked up to him and hugged him again.

"I can't say I'm surprised you can't resist me anymore, Bon, but this is hardly the time."

Damon expected another pinch, or maybe a punch, but she said nothing. Bonnie is a tiny women, even in heels, she only came up his chest. She wasn't weak though and Damon could feel the strength of her arms as they wrapped around him.

"Bon?"

She looked up into his eyes, the green of her eyes were practically glittering. "Damon..." She purred before getting on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on Damon's lips. She immediately went into feverishly kissing him. Damon, shocked, didn't resist right away. Kissing Bonnie made his heart race. She fit so well in his arms. It wasn't until he realized that Bonnie in her right mind wouldn't do what she was doing that he tore away from her.

"Evelyn!" He growled.

Bonnie laughed. "Don't be so mad Damon. You liked it right? We can do that plus more if you want. You like this body right?"

Damon said nothing. He grabbed the bags from the floor, only vaguely aware that she dropped them at their feet during their kiss, and headed out the door without her. Once he was outside though, he covered his mouth.

What the hell was he thinking? So caught up in a kiss he should have saw right away wasn't really Bonnie's. He vowed not to fall for it again.

When Stefan opened the door, he was surprised Damon was alone. Damon opted out of telling Stefan what went on between him and Evelyn.

"How's little Ms. Forbes doing?"

"She's... It's bad."

"I've been told I'm terrible at it but let me take a crack at this." His said as he cracked his knuckles.

"This isn't a joke Damon," Stefan said as Damon walked right past him and onto the house.

"Who's joking?" Damon asked in all seriousness.

When he found Caroline curled up on a couch, cradling a pillow, he exhaled. She was perfectly still except for the moments her body would jerk and shed grab her stomach.

"Caroline?" Damon stepped into the living room. When she didn't reply, he called to her again, "Care?"

"You don't get to call me that."

"And she speaks! I gotta say I was worried there for a sec. Also, if I don't call you Care who will? My brother isn't one for cute pet names."

She lifted her head from her pillow. "Get out of my house."

"I can't do that. I'm here to help you get out of this funk. Here," he tossed the blood bags to her. She allowed it to fall to the fall instead of catching it.

She rose to her feet. "Get out or I'll make you."

"Yes! That's the fire I want. I mean, hugging your pillow while you cry on the couch? This is who you are now?"

"You don't know who I am," she growled as her fangs descended.

Damon smirked and nodded towards her. "Then show me."

Caroline didn't hesitate to lunge at the older Salvatore brother with every intent to kill him. Her mother will have to forgive her. Damon had it coming ever since he lured her in and made her his personal blood bag. He didn't deserve forgiveness, he didn't deserve Elena, and he certainly didn't deserve to have Bonnie as a best friend either.

Damon took the punches Caroline laid on him without a fight, one sock to the chest had him hurdled across the room and through a window. On the ground outside, Damon cursed aloud.

Caroline jumped out the window and landed in front of him.

"I hate you. Everything you touch turns to shit!" She kicked him with every word she uttered. "First me, then Elena, and now Bonnie. You ruin people!"

Damon spat out blood and slowly got to his feet. "So what? I'm the bad guy. I always have been and I always will be!" He squared his shoulders as the broken bones in his body amended and healed itself. "Of all the crap I put you through personally, Bonnie being possessed and staking you to a wall is what has you lying in a fetal position? Stefan was locked in a _box_ for an entire season, drowning over and over again, and he gets up every damn day."

"I'm not Stefan," she cried, her tears blurring her vision. "And I'm not an Augustine vampire."

Damon exhaled and slowly walked up to her. Her blue eyes were unsteady but his weren't. She was standing still as Damon opened his arms and gently put them around her. She started to shake again but Damon hadn't let her go.

"You're so good, Caroline. What Evelyn did, it's already in the past. Nothing to do now but look ahead."

Caroline pushed at Damon's chest and freed herself from his hold. "You're no expert in moving on Damon." And it was the truth as far as the world knew.

Damon hesitated before speaking. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "What if I told you I'm so much better at it now?"

She shrugged. "I'd think you were lying but that's none of my business."

"Fair. But kicking my ass must have felt good."

Caroline chuckled despite herself. It earned a grin from Damon. "Yeah well you also didn't fight back. I won't count that as the ass whooping you deserve."

Stefan watched them from inside the house, through the massive hole on the side of her house where a window used to be. Seeing Caroline fill to the brim with rage and then Damon allowing himself to be her punching bag was nothing short of insane. Yet he knew not to make a sound. Damon was serving a purpose that he wouldn't have been able to.

And then he saw Caroline laugh, although dryly. Damon is shameless and that made him more honest than he was at times like these.

"So which one of you is going to pay to have this window fixed?"

Caroline pointed at Damon and Damon pointed at Stefan.

* * *

"Matt!" Bonnie smiled at him.

"Hey babe," Matt hugged her tight. "Let's go, I'm hungry."

It's dangerous at night, Matt had decided, so they've been seeing each other during Matt's lunch breaks during the day. At least until he felt like he had some grip over the recent crimes occurring in Mystic Falls.

They sat down in the outdoor seating at a restaurant. Matt was in a good mood but Evelyn knew that would change as soon as she started talking. As soon as the truth was out. She stalled, content with listening to Matt talk about his day. Work was tough but work is always tough. His deputies all look up to him and he felt guilty for not having his life as together as they all think he does.

"They're looking at me as the guy who has it all put together. And you made it worse."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you come by the precinct smiling at everyone and bringing me lunch, they think my life is perfect because of you."

She blushed. "I can't help being so perfect."

"But you're not perfect either. You get the funny little vein in your forehead whenever you're upset."

Bonnie slapped her hand over her forehead. "Shut up!"

He laughed, filling her stomach with butterflies yet again. It was his fault that Evelyn hesitated to leave Mystic Falls. It was because of him that Evelyn felt emotions that did nothing but weaken her resolve.

"I have to tell you something," she started slowly. Matt won't make a scene, she knew, but she feared the look he'd give her. He'll hate her. "I'm not really Bonnie Bennett."

"What?" Matt asked. He wasn't sure he heard right.

"My name is Evelyn Aronson, a witch. I'm possessing Bonnie's body. I'm the one… you've really been with this the entire time."

His eyes widened. "Bonnie?"

" _Evelyn_ ," she emphasized.

"Oh god…" Matt's expression hardened. "What hell did you do with Bonnie?"

"She's still here," she touched her chest. "She's still inside."

"What do you want?" He spat. They hadn't been in a good place after all. It was all a lie and Matt pitifully fell for it. Not once did he question Bonnie's new personality, too caught up in the passion because he was so damn happy just to have her.

She shook her head, unable to speak right away. "Nothing. I don't want anything, Matt, not from you, you're fine."

"I'm fine? You!" Matt's voice rose and then he looked around. "You _stole_ my friend's body for a reason right? What the hell do you want then?"

Tears lined her green eyes. "I just want to be free."

"You hijack someone's body and then talk about freedom?"

She wiped away her tears. "I had no other choice."

Suddenly, Matt guessed the truth. "It was you… behind all the murders."

She looked at him with sad eyes but Matt wasn't moved. "You watched me be wrecked over these cases and went on as if you were innocent."

"It's either me or them, Matt," her voice hardened. "I choose me and I don't care how brutal I have to be about it."

"So what, who are you going to kill next? Me?"

She laughed. "No, I would never," then she added, "unless provoked. You know the truth now so there are no more lies between us."

"Why can't you just let her go?" He pleaded.

"Because she's the perfect candidate. Her blood line is exceptional and she was easy to find."

Matt glared at her. Evelyn felt ashamed for wanting this man even more. Even when he was mad, he was beautiful. There was absolutely nothing he could do to make her hate him and yet she knew she'd still kill him before he got in her way any further.

"So that's it? You take her body and run off with it?"

She replied honestly, "You can always run with me."

Matt sucked his teeth and stood. "And why the hell would I do that."

"Matt wait! This could still work!" She reached for him and he smacked her hand away.

"Give Bonnie back her body. Otherwise stay the hell away from me."

Evelyn sat still for a long time after Matt left. What an idiot she'd been. There was nothing more important to her than her freedom and nothing more vital in the world than her own safety. Yet she risked it all in the name of Matt Donovan.

Stupid.

She took a deep breath. She'll have to move forward. Maybe Matt will manage to survive the oncoming carnage and she'll come back for Matt once he has no other options.

"You've been awfully quiet. Still upset about earlier?"

 _'This is what you like right? I could almost understand you and Matt. But Damon? What was that about?'_

"Damon is fond of you so I wanted to see how far that went. He must like you a lot right?" Evelyn stopped caring if the people she walked by questioned her sanity. Matt was the only one that mattered. "Besides, it's not like I was getting any closer to sleeping with Matt."

 _'You're sick.'_

"Oh please. A girl's got needs. So what if I'll take it from Matt or Damon?"

 _'Sex isn't the problem here Evelyn! This isn't your body and it's not you Matt or Damon wants to be around.'_

"If Damon let loose a little I'm sure he'll have me. Did you feel the spark between us? Did you know Damon wanted you that badly?"

 _'Damon doesn't want me. He's waiting for Elena.'_

"So that kiss was a fluke? Listen sister, I can flip through your memories like a book. I can point to at least a dozen times where you two were close enough to touch. So what if he's waiting for Elvira to wake up..."

" _Elena_ ," Bonnie corrected.

"That doesn't mean he could never be attracted to you. And it definitely can't be that he could never fall in love again."

 _'I don't want to talk about this. Especially not with you.'_

"Suit yourself. But I'm officially single and ready to seduce Damon if I have to. Or maybe Stefan, but, he'd be more of a gentleman though right?"

 _'You're disgusting.'_

She smiled.

* * *

A few days after everyone got to know the truth, Evelyn moved into the Salvatore home. She decided she'd be safer there and the Salvatore brothers begrudgingly agreed.

Matt agreed to keep a lookout for newcomers into town. He blockaded every entrance into Mystic Falls except one. No one was getting through without his knowledge. Caroline spent most of her time inside her house with Stefan but the memory of her month in Bonnie's basement didn't sit so heavily in her chest. Could she pull through like Damon said she would?

"When is this witch supposed to visit anyway?" Damon asked. He was more irritated than usual now that Evelyn inside Bonnie's body was around all the time. He was used to her face of course; they lived together in his house for months. However, not once did Bonnie make breakfast with hardly any clothes on.

Evelyn looked up and smiled. "Is that how you greet people? That's very rude of you Damon."

"I'd be a little less rude if you had clothes on," he pointed to her and gestured to her body. She had on a thin t-shirt and a pair of panties.

"When I was born, a woman was lynched for being so provocative."

"I'm sure."

She flipped a pancake over the skillet. "See what I'm doing? I'm doing our thing to make you more comfortable," she grinned.

"It's not our thing. It's my and Bonnie's thing. You don't get to use it," he said as he took the skillet from her hands and threw them against the wall.

"I'm sensing some hostility here," she whispered then shook her head with her hands on her hips. "Classic Damon."

Damon made a fist at his sides. He couldn't fight her while she was still inside Bonnie's body. He also couldn't call her a liar. So he left the room, utterly defeated. Classic Damon.

"Now what am I going to eat?" Evelyn questioned aloud. There was a long pause after which she snorted. "Really? Today didn't feel like a victory to you?"

Damon hadn't returned to the house after leaving that morning. In fact, he had disappeared for several days afterward. With Damon gone, Stefan took it upon himself to make sure Evelyn hadn't run off in the night with Bonnie's body. Caroline made him promise to ask how Bonnie was doing for her.

"Who are you talking to?" Stefan questioned as he walked into the kitchen.

"I'm talking to Bonnie. She's quite opinionated."

"Some say so," Stefan's response sounded on the edge of agreeing with her, although he was referring to Damon's early impressions of her.

A moment of silence passed and Evelyn suddenly laughed. "Bonnie's mad that you didn't defend her."

"Is she?" Stefan was suddenly interested in how Bonnie being possessed worked. "You hear her? Excuse me for being a little late on the details of you hijacking my friend's body."

She rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately, in taking someone's body, I can't get rid of the original soul. I'm stuck with Bonnie until I get a new body."

Stefan recalled Katherine taking over Elena's body. He never asked what it felt like not to have control, or if she could see and hear what Katherine was doing. Especially when she was trying to seduce him.

"But passengers shouldn't be able to move into someone's life so seamlessly. You knew all of our names, our history."

Evelyn frowned. "Don't insult me. I am no traveler. I swear, if I'm forced to hear about that low level magical being, I'll scream. It's truly a wonder how they managed to a cause so much trouble."

"You can see into Bonnie's memories? That's..."

"Amazing? Extraordinary? Yes, all that. Trust me, travelers don't compare to witches. They're packs of wild dogs, huddling together for warmth. Even if they had children, it wouldn't compare to what a blood related coven can do."

"Fine," Stefan huffed and threw his hands up. "So you steal her body for her Bennett blood line," Stefan began with an irritated tone; it was the part of the story he got from Damon. "Why not start a coven of your own and not piggyback on the strength of others?"

"A coven?!" Evelyn could laugh at the prospect. "That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. Covens are suffocating—cult like even. I had to slaughter my entire family just to escape mine."

"You..?"

"Yes. Spelled their throats while they slept so they couldn't scream," She walked closer to Stefan. "Found a knife and gutted them in their beds, one by one," She touched his cheek and continued to speak in an airy attractive tone. "You're a ripper Stefan; you know what it feels like to literally tear through someone's neck. You know that crazed hunger, that infamous, _blood soaked_ high..." She bit her lip.

Stefan's nostrils flared and his fangs descended against his will. "What are you doing to me?" He hissed, suddenly the thirst for blood hit him like a ton of bricks.

"It's a witch's version of compulsion. I'm _charming_ you. It's subtle isn't it?"

"Charming?" His voice was raspy now. He could hear her blood flowing through her veins, calling to him.

She smiled sweetly, got to the tips of her toes, and kissed Stefan on the side of his mouth. "You're so good Stefan. Had I not been tainted by this world you would have been a fine man to marry 2 hundred years ago. Before you loved Katherine and before Laurent loved me."

"Please stop." His eyes were bloodshot now and a sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Tell me you'll give me what I want and I'll free you."

"What is it?"

With her mouth still against his, she uttered Damon's name. "Until I say so, you leave this house. Understand?"

Stefan nodded and suddenly his thirst was tamed. He inhaled violently and looked down at her in shock.

"Charmed?"

"Charmed. It's something I learned how to do from the only witch I know who's more powerful than I am. Unfortunately, it only works on vampires since witches are the ones who created your kind."

"Why do you want Damon so badly?"

"Because Bonnie wants Damon and I won't have to work so hard."

"Hard for what?" Stefan asked and his only answer was a shy laugh.

* * *

Damon, under the urging of Stefan. Returned to the Salvatore mansion to stay with Evelyn and Bonnie. Even after Stefan's explanation, Damon didn't understand what subtle compulsion was or why is it that he's never even heard of it until now. Still, until they fulfilled their end of the bargain, nothing else could be done but to make sure Evelyn didn't run off with their friend.

"I own a boutique right?"

"Bonnie owns a boutique," Damon corrected.

They were sitting at the kitchen. Evelyn made breakfast wearing something closer to what Bonnie would wear, a tank top and pajama bottoms. She was also acting sweet and Damon didn't like it.

Damon sucked his teeth. "You think you've got this all figured out huh? I'm going to make sure you don't make it out of this alive."

She stepped forward and looked Damon in the eye. "Try your hand at it Damon. But know that if I die your best friend goes with me. And you'd lose your mind," she whispered as her hands traveled up his stomach and stopped on his chest. "So play nice."

Damon's suddenly found himself sedated. "What is that? That's charming trick of yours? You like to spell vampires?"

She cracked a knowing smile. "It's no spell. Didn't Stefan explain? It's our own little perk after creating the original vampire that would lead to an infestation of your kind."

"If you hate me so much why am I here?"

Evelyn was effectively silenced. Wanting Damon as much as she did despite hating him was definitely an odd occurrence. Unfortunately, it was also completely out of her hands.

"What? No reply?" Damon asked after another moment of silence. Evelyn seemed surprisingly unsure of her response. "Oh, I see, you've got a little crush on me."

Evelyn's expression turned grim. "No I don't."

"I get it; you possessed Bonnie's body and then found out she's got a hottie like me for a best friend."

"That's absurd."

"Well Evelyn, I'm taken. My girl's in a coffin—long story—and I gotta admit—I'm not super attracted to evil witches."

She sucked her teeth. "I don't have to be your type Damon. You'll do as I say anyway or else you'll never see Bonnie's face again. And Bonnie's your type right?"

Damon sighed. For Bonnie, he'll have to play nice. "What do you want?"

Evelyn grinned. "I want to go shopping."

"Shopping?"

"Yes. Bonnie's wardrobe is pitiful. I want new clothes and jewelry and other things that are expensive and shiny." She sat down and sighed. "I can't live an ordinary life Damon," she confessed. "Bonnie's existence is as extraordinary as paint drying. She's is a side character in her own life. How sad."

"You can always exit Bonnie's body and I'll end that life of yours. Call it mercy."

Evelyn shrugged. "Oh Damon, you can't kill me. I know you'll try if I do leave this body but it wouldn't work because vampires are inferior to witches and I could literally blow your brains out through your nose."

"Cute," he muttered.

* * *

"Hey Elena..." Stefan approached the coffin. It was late and he finally found the right moment to come see her. He sat down and stared at the coffin. Years were passing by but every time he sat with her, it felt like only yesterday did they put her coffin in this tomb.

"I, um... I wrote some stuff down," he started as he pulled his folded journal from his pocket. "I thought I'd give this writing thing another chance but... you know its hard for me to break a habit. I feel like I'd rather just be here, as creepy as that sounds."

He took a deep breath, opened his journal, and read aloud every word he'd written. He talked about Caroline, Damon, and Bonnie. Then he talked about Evelyn and the damage she caused. When Elena went to sleep, she worried about Bonnie living her life the most. Bonnie deserved all the happiness in the world for all the sacrifices she's made for her friends and family.

"You should have seen her Elena..." He went on. "Caroline's a wreck. She beat the crap out of Damon which must have felt good but I don't know how else to help. And Bonnie's still stuck inside herself somewhere. Damon and I have to get rid of this Laurent guy or else Evelyn disappears with Bonnie and then... I never get to see either of you again."

He stood then and placed his hand on the casket. "I wish you were here. Maybe if you were we could have figured this all out together. Caroline needs help, Bonnie needs help, Damon _still_ needs help, and me? I don't know what I'm doing anymore."


	8. Witches

**Chapter 8  
**

 **"Witches"**

"So what's wrong with her exactly?" Damon found himself asking although he had an obvious reason already made up in his mind. All he could do has a semi-good friend was talk Alaric out of his ridiculous plan.

"There's nothing wrong," Alaric answered as he adjusted the messenger bag on his shoulder. They were on their way to the high school he worked at. "She's..."

"Beautiful? Smart? _Interested?_ Yeah, that how these things start."

They stopped in front of the building. Damon gave him a look and Alaric rolled his eyes. "I don't want this thing. And if you were so against it then why are you here?"

"I figured it would buy me some time to talk you out of it."

It was 7am when they walked into the school in search of Darcy. When they saw that she wasn't in her office, Damon went on with reasons as to why he should leave and let Darcy go on as she have been.

"You should see the look on her face though. I can't go on seeing it every day."

They finally resided in Alaric's classroom. Why he went back to teaching high school, Damon wasn't sure, but it kept Alaric busy for the most part. It also kept him sober for much of the week which is a nice change depending on who you asked.

"Even if I compelled her memory of you rejecting her or even I compelled her to hate your guts, what's to say she just won't fall for you all over again?" It happens. Love is funny that way.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Is that the kind of risk you're going to keep taking?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll be blunt since that's the only language that gets through to you people. You're human now; you're just going to spend the rest of your humorously short life alone?"

"Humorous?"

Darcy knocked on Alaric's open classroom door. "Mr. Satlzman, good morning," She smiled sweetly, bitterly. "You were looking for me?"

Alaric got to his feet and shot a glance at Damon before focusing on her. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something. Come in. This is my good friend Damon Salvatore."

Damon smiled as he was wholly impressed by how good looking she turned out to be. "Hello," he held out his hand and she shook it.

"Good morning," she said graciously, although she was a bit intimidated by Damon's dark energy. She felt like a rabbit in the presence of a wolf or even something capable of being even more sinister.

"Alaric, one last chance to not make a regrettable decision," Damon announced.

She turned to Alaric. "Is there something wrong?"

Alaric frowned at her. It was for her benefit. He couldn't fall for another person, not another woman whose life is surely threatened by the supernatural world he's a part of.

"Do it," he whispered.

Damon sighed then turned to her. "Darcy?" She turned her eyes to Damon's. "You do not have any feelings towards Alaric. In fact, you can't stand the sight of him. Avoid him at all cost."

Darcy stared at him silently for a moment. Damon took a step back, looked at Alaric, and considered his job done. However, Darcy cocked her head to the side and spoke.

"What?" She asked, utterly confused.

Damon turned back to her. "What?"

"What?!" Alaric said the loudest.

"What's the big idea Ric!" Damon yelled shoving the ex-vampire slayer. "Is this is a joke?"

"What's going on?" She asked, still as polite as ever although clearly panicked. She took a step back. Damon could hear Darcy's heart beating faster. Out of fear, Damon would guess.

"Are you a witch?" Alaric asked, almost offended for not knowing sooner. Darcy was supposed to be a simple woman, she was supposed to innocent. Instead, Darcy clearly holds just as many secrets as he does.

"What are you two going on about?" She took another step back. A witch? The nerves in her body fired off.

"Let's all cut the bullshit shall we? I just compelled you to drop Alaric like a ton of bricks and it had no effect on you so we _know_ that you're a witch." The room got silent but Damon could hear her heart beat even faster. "Shit."

"What is it?"

"She's gonna..." Damon flashed forward to catch Darcy before she could hit the floor. "Faint."

Alaric moved quickly to close the door. This wasn't how he expected his morning to go. So much for protecting her from him. So much for a lot of things.

"My class is going to start soon." Alaric said as he watched Damon place Darcy on his desk. "You've got you got rid of her!"

Damon shot Alaric a look. "What the hell do I look like to you? Isn't this more your problem? How could you not know what she was?"

He answered quickly, "It's not exactly a question normal people ask." He scratched at the back of his head. His good intentions turned dark yet again. "Besides, she probably didn't know herself."

"How old is she?" Damon asked, staring down at her face. "30 something? It's impossible for her to go on for that long and not know. Bonnie came into her powers at 16."

Speaking of Bonnie, it's been a terribly long time since he's spoken to the real her. If Evelyn wasn't a part of the picture, he was sure she'd know what to do in this situation. She's got bigger problems than Alaric and his new girlfriend though.

"My class is going to start soon. Take her back to your place and keep her safe."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You owe me."

"Whatever you want. Make sure Evelyn doesn't do anything weird to her."

Damon grunted as he threw Darcy's body over his shoulder. Evelyn wouldn't go out of her way to bother with Darcy; Damon felt he knew at least that much. Unless Darcy had something she needed, after which who knew what Evelyn was capable of.

"You got it Boss!" Damon said before leaping out if the window. He could hear Alaric shouting, "careful!" in his wake.

* * *

When Damon came in with a woman in his arms, Evelyn's interest was immediately piqued. She could feel that Bonnie was also curious as to who Damon walked in with and why.

"It's a bit soon for a third isn't it?"

"Funny. But this one belongs to Alaric," Damon dropped her body on the couch. "I tried to compel her today and it didn't work."

"Late bloomer huh?" Evelyn muttered has she approached him from behind and ran her fingernails down his back. Damon turned around shoved her against the wall near the fireplace. He'd been living with Evelyn for only a few days and she literally never gave him any space.

"What's you're obsession with me huh? You're in my face everywhere I turn."

"If I could turn it off, I would."

Evelyn wondered then if Bonnie understood what her love for Damon meant. It was the only thing stronger than Evelyn's magical ability. It was capable of defying odds. The single power in the world Evelyn was weak to; she had to submit to it.

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

Evelyn used her magic to propel Damon's body across the room. Falling for Matt on her own was bad enough. Her feelings for Damon were nothing but a product of Bonnie's affection for him. There was no use though. So she'll have him if it's the last thing she did.

Damon groaned as he got up from the floor. He broke a priceless statue on his way down. He pointed at it and hissed, "you're gonna pay for that."

She laughed. "Am I? You can't hurt me, not while I control this body you can't. I'm your precious Redbird."

Damon's expression, for the slightest moment, melted into something incredibly sad. Evelyn felt moved by it. Bonnie is surly the most important person to him, a girl who deserved the most protection, his redbird. It was a wonder to Evelyn that it was Elena who Damon was waiting for.

"So this is fun for you, huh?" Damon flashed forward and gripped her throat.

Evelyn frowned then and used her magic to snap Damon's fingers back, breaking every one of his fingers. "Not particularity. I wish you'd take advantage of this opportunity like you usually would and kiss me."

"You're not her!" Damon said and regret immediately covered his face. He sneered. "There's nothing about this situation that I'd want to take advantage of. As soon as you're out of my best friend's body, I'll have the opportunity to choke you to death."

Evelyn smiled. "You're adorable."

"Obviously. Take care of Alaric's girl while I'm gone." Damon made his way towards the front door.

"Hey! Why should I?!"

"You've got something better to do?"

"I would if I didn't have a bounty on my head," Evelyn huffed. All of her plans were moving forward steadily and yet she still managed to make it so she was stuck in this drab mansion.

"Then stay here and watch the witch," he gestured toward Darcy on the couch. "You two have things in common. Make a friend for once in your life."

* * *

When Darcy awoke, she was tucked in on a couch inside a house she'd never seen before. Her hand covered her heart as she recalled the moments before she blacked out. Alaric and his friend Damon with the dark presence.

The living room was dark. She noticed the fireplace and concluded that someone must have only recently put out the flames. The smell of it was still in the air.

She stood, careful not to make a sound. She feared for her life and felt in her heart that her safety and freedom was far from the place she found herself in. She even took off her shoes to quickly and quietly patter her feet across the solid wooden floors.

She breathed a sigh of relief when her fingertips touched the unlocked door knob.

"Leaving so soon?" Evelyn sang as she descended from the staircase. Darcy immediately burst into tears, annoying the seasoned witch. "I'm going to need you calm down sister."

"I'm not..." her voice was low voice.

Evelyn smiled, amused. " _All_ witches are sisters." However, her sisters weren't so kind despite being blood related.

"What do you want with me?" Darcy asked, ignoring Evelyn's comment all together.

"Me? Nothing. And I would love to give you the freedom to leave but its better if you stay."

Darcy tried for the doorknob again. This time, it wouldn't move. Without turning around, she whispered, "What's happening?"

Evelyn's heart softened for Darcy. She was on the edge of an entirely new world. She must be terrified. But this was her moment to throw herself in it, completely lose herself.

"Darcy, you're a witch. And if you manage to calm down I can start teaching you a few things."

 _'What are you up to?'_ Bonnie asked, fiercely aware that Evelyn didn't do anything she didn't benefit from. The real question was what exactly she could earn from being nice to a newbie witch anyway.

'Oh, you were so quiet all this time I almost forgot you were here. Don't worry about sweet Darcy though. She's in good hands.'

"Come on," Evelyn said in her sweetest voice.

Darcy couldn't place the feeling in her gut when it came to the young girl. She smiled and spoke calmly but there was obviously darkness in her, one that could almost match the demon known as Damon.

"I don't trust you. I don't trust any of this."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. She grabbed a few candles and placed them on the floor. Darcy hadn't moved from the door.

Evelyn sat cross legged on the carpeted floor. Evelyn herself never got the chance to learn magic with this sort of relaxed method. She was a threat after all, one to be locked away forever.

"Come, light these candles."

"I don't believe in magic." Darcy mumbled, bothered that the words even had to be said. Magic? Witches? It's all made up nonsense. There were actual real life things she had to deal with every day.

"Look, Damon already said he couldn't compel you. The only answer is that you're a witch. Now if you got closer and concentrated for five seconds, you can light these candles like a professional."

"I want to leave."

"It's ok. It's still early. Alaric will be here soon."

Evelyn then made the candles light up herself, making Darcy jump in surprise. What sort of trouble did she get herself in? Why can't she wake up from it all?

"Is... Is Alaric a witch too?"

"Hm? Oh, no. He's an ex-vampire hunter. He used to kill people like Damon but now they're best buddies. Seems like the only people who are friends with Damon are the ones he managed not to kill."

Darcy looked around the room. She was trapped. Well, she was until Alaric got here apparently. Is this was a damsel in distress was, waiting for some man to come around and fix things. Could she fight her off? Not that her sitting cross legged on the floor was any indication that her life was in danger.

"And you? What's your name?"

She grinned. "My name is Evelyn."

Evelyn only had to wait another few minutes before Darcy gingerly approached her.

"I'm not a witch," Darcy said again, unable to meet Evelyn's eyes.

"We'll see. Go on light the candles."

"I can't." She got down to the floor across from Evelyn.

"Just imagine them being lit. Picture the flicker, the spark, and then the flame."

Darcy finally looked up to meet Evelyn's gaze. It was easy and calm. Darcy could sense that Evelyn had no doubt in her mind that this was possible. As if... It really was all possible.

Darcy looked back down to the candle. Flame. No. The flicker first. Then the spark.

The candle suddenly burned at the tip. Darcy's jaw dropped in a silent gasp. Evelyn grinned. What a gorgeous sight! To get to see someone else come into their powers felt like a blessing. As all three candles in front of Darcy were lit up so did her face.

"Who's not a witch now?"

"How?!" Her voice shrieked.

Evelyn laughed. "Magic."

Darcy laughed too then, and the flames grew brighter.

Alaric had only been gone an hour when he finally got back to the mansion. Damon called him only five minutes ago, said that he left Darcy in Evelyn's care, forcing him to leave even sooner than he had planned.

When got to the door, he kicked it open and had mentally prepared for a fight when he found what looked like Bonnie and Darcy dancing in a room full of floating paintings, vases, and anything else that happened to be sitting in the living room that afternoon, including the furniture. The only thing that wasn't real was Bonnie.

"What the...?" Alaric gasped.

Alaric broke Darcy's concentration and everything came crashing down. It was a mess of broken glass.

"Oh my god! Look at what I did!" Darcy panicked. Whose house was this anyway? She'll have to pay for damages. She was going to get sued.

"It's ok. The Salvatore's are rich. Filthy rich. Don't you worry."

"Darcy, are you ok?" Alaric rushed to her, his hands cupped her face.

"I'm fine, Alaric. I'm more than fine!" She was glowing with happiness. She called him by his first name. Alaric couldn't help but smile back. "And it's all thanks to Evelyn!"

Alaric frowned. He looked over his shoulder to Evelyn who smirked at back at him. It was never an expression Bonnie would have used. He should have never let Damon take her here.

"Right," he took Darcy's hand and tried to lead her away from Evelyn. "Let's get you home now. Then maybe we can talk in private. You probably have a lot of questions."

Darcy resisted being pulled away though. "Evelyn answered my questions already. You're an ex vampire hunter. Damon's a vampire and so is his little brother. Evelyn and I..." she breathed. "God, we're witches! I can light fires with my mind. I can do so much! There's no limit!" She looked over to Evelyn who seemed proud.

"There _are_ limits though. Witches know that better than anyone," he shot a look at Evelyn and then added "usually. We have to get you out of here and talk about this."

Darcy looked in Alaric's eyes, confused. "Can't I stay? Ev has so much more to teach me. I want to know more."

"Not like this!" Alaric roared. Darcy flinched while Evelyn remained stoic behind them. The room fell silent.

"I'm leaving," Darcy's voice was distant and cold.

"Darcy, no. Please hear me out."

Darcy walked back to Evelyn and gave her a hug. "Please call me."

"Oh, I will," Evelyn smiled.

"Darcy, please don't leave like this. This is much bigger than you can ever imagine. This world, it's harsher than you think."

Darcy took off her hair tie. Big, lustrous, curly hair fell down her shoulders. She looked like an entirely different person, ageless, limitless, and infinite.

"Good bye, Alaric."

She was on her way out when Damon walked in. "Hey, Curly. How was your sleep?"

She smiled at him, her eyes glittered. "I'm awake now. Till next time, Damon."

Damon watched her leave; she had a cool swing to her hips. Damon couldn't resist a walk like that.

"So, she's alive and well." Damon said with a shrug.

"Damon, you idiot. What were you thinking?" Alaric rubbed his temple. He'd have to try to fix things.

"I had things to do, I couldn't carry her around."

"I asked you to do one thing!"

"Your girl isn't dead, Ric. What the hell are you pissed about?!"

Alaric didn't answer. Instead, he stormed off, leaving Damon behind with Evelyn and the mess she made with Darcy.

Damon turned to Evelyn, set on finding out exactly what she could have possibly done to Darcy that'll blow up in his face, until he saw the condition his living room was in.

"Fuck..."

"Sorry about the mess darling."

Damon walked through the living room. Stefan was going to kill him, or at the very least the punch him in the guts.

"You and Darcy made quite a mess."

"Well you told me to play nice. She's going to be a great witch, I can tell."

Just then, Damon's cell phone rang. "Hey? You got something for me?" Damon paused to listen. "Well aren't you good enough? Damn it." There was another long pause. "Fine! Just, hurry. Ok?"

Evelyn was insanely curious. "Who was that?"

"None of your business."

She sucked her teeth. "Don't try anything funny Damon. I'm not one for jokes."

"Of course not," he held her chin and looked her in the eye. This was Bonnie's body but could she feel him touching her? Can she tell that Damon wasn't looking at Evelyn but to her instead? He wished he could speak to her; tell her that he was working on it, calling up every witch who didn't hate his guts for help, including her cousin Lucy.

"You can lean in whenever you like."

Damon sneered. "As if. Bonnie's hot but who knows how grotesque you really are."

"Rude," Evelyn said as she ran her fingers through her red hair. "I'm compelled to want you Damon but you sure are making this hard."

Damon didn't bother to consider what Evelyn had said. He had more calls to make and people to see.


	9. Reality

**Chapter 9**  
 **"Reality"**

Stefan never left her house. He never left her side. Every morning he made breakfast and every night he made dinner. Caroline tried to convince him to leave and get on with his life but he refused. He won't leave until she was ok but what did that mean? How would Stefan be able to tell if she was ok? He's never been able to before. Speaking and smiling didn't seem to be enough of an answer.

Stefan had essentially left behind every problem and impending doom to cater to her. However, Caroline was only bothered by his insistent presence.

"Good morning," he greeted when she got to the kitchen. "I made blood pancakes," Stefan said cheerily, although blood pancakes were just regular pancakes with blood on top instead of syrup and butter.

"Bonnie is being possessed by an evil witch and you find time to make blood pancakes?"

"For you? Of course." Stefan felt a pinch of guilt in his chest. Caroline didn't know the whole truth, that Evelyn had a sort of weird power over him and essentially drove him out of his home in favor it Damon.

Caroline rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "How many different ways can I say that I'm fine? You've been here for days."

Stefan brought the pancakes to the table and set them down. "Why can't one friend make another friend breakfast?"

"Because one friend is trying to move on from the other friend and can't do that if said friend is always around," She sat down at the table and Stefan sat across from her. He didn't respond.

She was still in love with him. Why didn't he get how hard this was? Nothing about them felt natural anymore and maybe it never was. This was all she wanted. This was what forever was supposed to look like. Instead, it felt more like an obligation. Just like when she turned off his humanity and gave him no other choice but to cross that line with her.

Stefan has a good heart; of course, he wouldn't want leave her to cope alone but this wasn't the answer either. It used to bother her that Elena was always the one being gently comforted but she'd had enough Stefan's kind eyes.

"I'm going back to work tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm in my element when I'm running things."

Stefan smiled a bit, still unsure of whether to believe in her. She seemed fine on the outside but Stefan knew how deceiving that could be. He was about to protest when Caroline pointed her fork at him. "I don't want to be locked up here anymore," she said firmly. Stefan conceded.

They spent the rest of the day together in an easy flow of things. They talked and laughed and for a moment the both of them forgot what it was that brought them there. Stefan had supposedly forgotten how to love with his entire heart. They weren't together anymore. Evelyn had tortured her in Bonnie's basement. And nothing would be the same but when was it ever? Ten years ago each of them were entirely different people.

It was Damon's call that blew reality back into their lungs. "What's up?" Stefan asked.

"Alaric says there must be a way to cast Evelyn out of Bonnie's body. That witches always have a loophole with these things. We just have to figure it out."

"What are you planning?"

"Well I've got to find the only witch in the planet that hates me but is willing to get behind me on this."

"And who's that?"

"Lucy of course. The only other witch I know who just might be powerful enough to take Evelyn on."

"And if she can't help?"

Damon wasn't going to say aloud that he'd rather Bonnie be dead than to live out her life trapped inside her own body. Not if he couldn't be trapped with her. At least, that way, their misery had company. He was going to have to channel Bonnie's special brand of hope for now though.

"Perk up, little brother. Have faith in the Bennetts."

"Fine," Stefan looked to Caroline who quickly looked away. "What do you need me for?"

"I just need a couple days of distraction. If Evelyn thinks I'm up to no good who knows how she'll react." Evelyn is a damn brat after all.

"Fine," said Stefan, thoroughly exhausted. Next time Bonnie mentions that she worried about something Stefan will gladly pay for a trip to the Bahamas for all of them. Nothing bad happens in the Bahamas.

"Off to another mission?"

"I won't go if you tell me to. We can always do things another way."

Caroline smiled through her annoyance. Stefan was being Stefan but he wasn't what she needed anymore. Her problems weren't as big as Bonnie's right now so Bonnie was all that mattered.

"Stefan," she said as she stepped to him, "I'm fine. Bonnie isn't. So please don't be crazy and try to juggle everything. In fact, I'm going to help." Caroline turned down the hall and grabbed her denim jacket.

"Wait, I don't think this is such a good idea."

"What did you think I was going to do? Sit back and wait for Damon of all people to take care of things?"

"I just don't want to see you hurt again," he said as he took her hands.

"With my luck, Evelyn won't be the last person to tie me up or stake me or use me as leverage in some sort of sick scheme," her hand traveled up to touch Stefan's cheek, her voice was sincere and as sweet as can be, "Can't you just trust me when I say that I'm fine? And if I wasn't, I trust you enough to make sure that I'll be fine eventually."

Stefan smiled. "Yeah."

"Now let's go get our girl."

* * *

When Stefan and Caroline walked into the Salvatore mansion, Evelyn was silently meditating in the wrecked living room.

"Hello Evelyn," Caroline spat once she got inside.

Evelyn opened her eyes smiled when she saw Caroline.

"Bonnie is happy to see you." It was none other than Bonnie filling her heart with relief. Caroline served her purpose long ago and Evelyn didn't care how the blond would end up.

Caroline's chest hurt. Her eyes saw Bonnie but she knew it was Evelyn smiling at her. She's the one who hurt her for so long not Bonnie. She missed her best friend.

"Tell Bonnie we're well one our way to fixing this mess."

Evelyn chucked. "She can see and hear you just fine."

Caroline rolled her eyes and Stefan stepped in then. "Care to explain what happened to my house?"

"Damon told me to make a friend. So I did. The furniture turned out to be collateral damage. I've thought it over and having a friend might not be so bad."

"A friend?" Stefan asked, confused. Who was she talking about? Why won't Damon tell him important things?!

"Friends are honest with each other. Do you know what honesty is?"

"I was honest about locking you up in my basement. And now look at you? So ungrateful."

That was the trigger. Caroline's fangs appeared and she was about to attack when Stefan grabbed her by her waist. "Easy now," Stefan said into her ear.

"Cute. But you should have let her come after me Stefan. I've been bored here all day."

Stefan hated that Evelyn couldn't even be intimidated. "Let's all calm down then."

"Hey Stefan, where's Damon?"

"Why do you ask?" Stefan asked without missing a beat.

She pursed her lips. Why indeed. She didn't necessarily want the truth to be the topic of conversation. The truth was quite embarrassing after all.

"Because he lives here and he hasn't been here all day. We had a deal Stefan."

Caroline quickly turned to Stefan. "What deal?"

"It's wasn't a deal as much as it was a forced ultimatum."

"Stefan didn't tell you? Wow. That actually makes things so much more entertaining."

"Evelyn. Stop," Stefan had two choices. Let Evelyn tell Caroline the truth or the truth can come from him. Unfortunately, Evelyn didn't allow him the time to decide for himself which was the safer option.

"Does this count as gossip? I don't mean to tell stories but," Evelyn got to her feet and inches closer to the blonde. "Word is Stefan only stayed at your place this entire time because I banned him from coming back here."

Caroline glared at the witch. "That's not true." Stefan stayed for her, because he cared about her that much. Right?

"Caroline..." Stefan started carefully.

"It makes you wonder what other sorts of secrets he might have, right?" Evelyn taunted.

Caroline looked Stefan in the eyes. "Tell me that's not the truth."

"It's not... The whole truth. Look, Evelyn wanted me out or else. But I would have stayed with you either way."

Stefan was set on getting Caroline back, and on being the man she wanted but with the way she looked at him now, those dreams seemed impossible.

"So you crashed at my place like some college dropout."

Evelyn watched them argue for a moment. She certainly had a flare for calamity. Funny how a few words can ruin things between two people. How pathetic were their issues though. Aren't there worse things in the world?

* * *

Miles away from the Salvatore mansion Damon was finally stepping onto Lucy Bennett's quiet Staten Island home.

"Damon Salvatore, here once again because my sweet baby cousin is in trouble. I'm starting to think you and the rest of her friends are nothing but trouble."

Lucy Bennett hadn't changed much physically. Lovely brown skin, long hair and a charming smile. He only ever came to her for the big disasters, ones that held Bonnie's life on the line. Otherwise, Lucy had made a point not to associate with vampires anymore. They were nothing but trouble.

"Hello to you too. Mind if I come in?" His fixed smile amused her. She paused, putting her hands in her hips. Damon groaned, "Please?"

"Yes you may," she said with a short laugh.

Damon sat down in her modern yet soft colored living room. Lucy never stayed in one place for too long but this house felt especially lived in.

"So what's this about a witch taking over her body?"

"Her name is Evelyn Aronson. She's an old witch who wants to live forever or some shit-"

"Right, and she can't hold onto her original body for too long," Lucy nodded as she spoke. "Hundred years at most."

"She's at least double that," Damon countered.

She nodded in acknowledgement and then added, "It's my fault. I didn't think that she'd go after Bonnie."

"What? You knew this would happen."

"Of course not! Someone was tracking me, I felt it. But then I cloaked myself and moved out of Brooklyn. I had no idea they'd be after our bloodline or else I would have come sooner."

"Fine. But you must know a way to fix this."

Lucy bit her lip and gave him an apprehensive nod. "We have options. Yes."

Damon didn't like Lucy's expression but there wasn't a thing he could do about it. "Fine, let's go through them."

Damon watched Lucy go through grimoire after grimoire. She had at least 2 dozen and with every one she went through Damon was sure Lucy used the plural 'options' loosely. Three days had gone by before Damon finally snapped. His only solace was that Stefan hadn't called him yet which must have meant Evelyn was being entertained. She is the type to do worse if she was bored.

"What the hell is taking so long?" Damon exploded.

"There's a million ways one witch can take over the body of another witch," she sighed. "If Evelyn was a demon or a ghost this all would be easier. I need a spell that would remove her from Bonnie's body without hurting Bonnie in the process."

"How? How would she be hurt?" What were a few aches and bruises compared to your freedom?

Lucy shuffled through the pages of her grimoire. "Evelyn is most likely synced to Bonnie, bonded would be a better term, trying to force her out while she's tied to her memories and lifeline could be catastrophic."

"Anything from memory lose to death? Ok. Fine, one is more doable than the other. Now let's go." Damon stood. He'd been with Lucy three days too long in his opinion. He had to get back to Bonnie now, save her from this mess. He grabbed the book she was holding and made his way to the grin door.

"Damon wait!"

"We don't have time to mull things over Lulu."

"I won't know..." She sounded wrecked. "I won't know how Bonnie will react to the spell until it's all over. We can't risk it."

Damon glared at her. "So you're giving up? You told Bonnie once that you'd be back, that you'd see her again and you haven't seen her face since!"

"What does that have to do with..?!"

"Bonnie is always alone! She literally has just us to get this right for her. We have to chance it. Whatever it is. For her."

A tear slipped from Lucy's eye. "And if she dies? You'll be fine with that?"

"Let's go," Damon said gently. "We've got a plane to catch."

* * *

Darcy had fun playing with fire but now it was time to try her hand at other things. In her quiet home, she considered what else she could conjure. She could do fire but what about ice? Can she call on any element she pleases?

She was nervous, doing it alone instead of with Evelyn. She made everything look so easy.

"Ice," she said aloud to the cup of water sitting on the coffee table in her living room. The water remained perfectly still. "Oh come on!"

Maybe she was jumping too far ahead. She could light a candle. The next step wasn't turning water into ice.

She refocused on the glass. The quiet moment dragged on and for several heartbeats, Darcy had even stopped breathing until it happened. The water pulsed and suddenly it was rapidly boiling.

"Ah!" She yelled and jumped around in glee. "This is amazing!"

She grabbed her phone, excited to tell Evelyn all about what she'd done when she realized she didn't have her number. Darcy pouted. She'd have to wait until Evelyn called first. Still, Darcy smiled, giddy. Maybe she could improve and maybe even impress her next time. What an idea! Trying to earn a compliment from someone half her age. Maybe witches were all wise beyond their years.

By nightfall, Darcy had mastered fire as well as ice. She was a regular Elsa. The wooden coffee table was a solid block of ice before she burned it and used it for firewood. And then the fire that was contained in the fireplace was flaming orbs she danced with in her living room with.

Limits? What were those? She was a natural and she was fearless.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and the fireballs extinguished themselves in the air. It seemed like her concentration was the only thing that kept the magic going.

She frowned when she saw it was Alaric at her door. Darcy understood now that Alaric wasn't going to give up so easily.

"Come on," Darcy said, stepping to the side to let him into her home. "How did you know where I lived?"

"I had Damon compel your secretary before he left," Alaric said, not bothering to care that he'd invaded her privacy. "We should talk..." Alaric started to say when he noticed the smell in the air. "Is there something burning?"

"I was lighting fires," she replied calmly as she sat down on her couch.

"Darcy, this world you're stepping into, it's dangerous. I've seen things—a million reasons as to how terrible it all could be."

"What do you want me to do about it Alaric? I was always a witch, even when I didn't know it," Darcy's tender voice was full of love. Love for herself and love for her magic. "It's not like you're going out of your way to escape this world either. You're so opposed to it all but you didn't hesitate to use Damon's power to try and manipulate me..."

"I was trying to protect you! I've lost the most important women in my life to magic. I couldn't risk falling in love again and dragging you down."

Darcy's gaze softened. So that's what it was. He lost his wife to this world. "I understand," she said, touching his shoulder. "But I'm already here, there's no going back now. I can't go on being afraid to be what I am."

Alaric turned his eyes away from her. If she was gorgeous before, she's was nothing short of dazzling now. She was going to explore this, fall as deeply in love with it as she could.

"I had a husband," she said suddenly. "Well, I was engaged at least. His name was Robert." There was a beat is silence before Alaric apologized for her lost. "That was four years ago. I think you would understand how much space they leave behind, how much time you suddenly have alone in that space. It's... Miserable."

"Yeah, I know," was all Alaric could manage to say. The world of magic took Jo's life but he didn't hesitate to use magic to try to bring her back, even if it meant hurting Bonnie at the time. Still, he had gotten some sort of closure. Darcy surely didn't even get that much.

"So I bet you can imagine—or can't imagine—what it feels like to finally meet someone who actually makes you feel like some giddy teenager. I was too nervous to even call you by your first name," she took his hand and placed it over chest, Alaric could feel her heart beating speedily inside her. "I haven't felt this way in a long time. I told myself that maybe falling wasn't the worse thing."

Alaric pulled his hand away. He didn't want to imagine what falling in love again felt like, especially not with her.

Darcy smiled, it was knowing and kind. "Rejection isn't the worse thing either. There's a lot more in the world to love. It doesn't have to be just Robert or just you. It can be me and my magic and whatever else I discover."

Alaric took a step back. It's wasn't her fault, he could at least understand that much, but he suddenly felt like he hated her anyway. "Goodbye, Darcy."

Darcy frowned; her brown eyes reflected her honest and open sadness over it all. "Till next time, Alaric."

Alaric stared for a moment before walking out of Darcy's house. There was nothing he could do but to abandon trying to protect her as well as forgetting the emotions she stirred up inside him. Darcy was surely nothing but trouble.

From the front window, Darcy counted the footsteps Alaric took to get to his car. A tear slipped from her eye as she whispered "you idiot." She couldn't just do whatever Alaric wanted her to even if he had good intentions. She had hope though, that Alaric could finally see her as a person one day, as a woman much stronger than he's willing to give credit for right now, and not some girl that needed to be saved.


	10. Fire

**Chapter 10  
"Fire"**

Evelyn was a late bloomer, like Darcy. She didn't come into her powers until she turned eighteen. It was a relief to see that she wasn't an ordinary human; she could stand with her 5 siblings as an equal part of the Domino Coven.

However, Evelyn was special, not only in timing but magnitude. Her father, Gerard Joseph Aronson, quickly realized that she was strong, stronger than him and potentially stronger than the entire coven.

"Why?!" She cried out in front of her mother. Her siblings were surely eavesdropping from the halls of the castle, never bold enough to laugh at her misfortune in front of their parents.

"It's not punishment my dear," Mary, her mother, tried to reassure her. Evelyn pressed her face against her mother's chest. "You have a wonderful gift. However..."

"Your power cannot be contained by this coven!" Gerard shouted. Evelyn felt her mother's rapid heart beating under her cheek. Her father was never especially nice. He was the leader of Domino coven; everything he did was in its name. Not once had he expressed any kindness. However, Evelyn couldn't miss what she'd never experienced.

The rest of the Domino coven was convinced by Gerard that a power like hers wasn't natural. It tipped the balance of nature. Evelyn wouldn't think it at the time but later realized that Joseph had no plans on stepping down as leader.

Again, she was ostracized. Her mother went on as if her misery wasn't clear as day. Her siblings, all of which she hated, only smirked in her direction after her magic was taken away and put inside a necklace she wore frequently.

It was then that she met Laurent, an inhumanly beautiful man, who would visit often. He was arranged to marry her eldest sister, Jane. He was also a witch, a part of a neighboring coven as well as next in line to rule.

Laurent would spend afternoons in their castle, courting the beautiful Jane Aronson, while she cried over her magic and lost identity. She was forbidden to roam outside the kingdom and rarely stepped foot outside from depression.

It struck Evelyn quickly, what an escape from her coven looked like. She would be a prisoner no more. Gerard's only fault was underestimating her, not realizing he created a beast without a conscious, sealing his fate.

"Are you a ghost?" Laurent asked with an easy smile on his lips. There was something odd about the youngest Aronson daughter, a peculiar light inside her shone brightly.

"Ghost?" She asked, surprised that she was even noticed in the reading room of the castle.

"You've never been the center of attention have you? I only see a glimmer of you before you fade away. Is this where you go?" His eyes quickly scanned the room before returning to focus on her.

Laurent found himself interested in the small woman. She never spoke a word before this. If Laurent wasn't so sure he was sober, he'd have taken her for an illusion.

"I'm... not allowed to draw attention. I'm a disgrace to this coven," she replied evenly. If her siblings weren't taunting with those exact words, she was yelling it to herself in the mirror.

"A disgrace?" Laurent wouldn't believe it. "How is that? You're far too young to understand such a word."

"I don't feel young. I don't feel alive," she confessed, Laurent was touched.

His coven leader and father had arranged for him to marry her sister, an order for his kingdom and his future coven. Her sweet face had charmed him though, even if he would marry Jane, it would be Evelyn who had his heart.

Quietly, not to raise suspicious eyes, they fell in love. Evelyn put Lauren's love to proper use. She was shameful without her magic, she cried to him to retrieve it.

"Anything for you," he said as he stroked her wild hair. "A witch without her magic is indeed a miserable tale."

The night she got her magic back was the night her entire coven was murdered. Laurent spent no time mourning the Domino coven. With her family gone, she was the last member of her coven and therefore its leader.

Laurent was the sole witness to Evelyn's metamorphosis. She was no longer the self-deprecating woman who cried woefully in his arms. She wasn't a woman who felt remorse. The girl he fell in love with had certainly become a ghost but the new Evelyn had captured his heart still.

Laurent later assumed the role of his coven leader. The Vygotsky coven had thrived; they were renowned for the power. However, Laurent wasn't satisfied just yet.

He taught her everything she knew. Her taste in the finer life came from Laurent as well as her distaste for vampires. She followed him wherever he went and would only want true freedom when wanted to take it away.

"Eve, my beautiful Eve," he hummed against her throat. It was 80 years of being with only her and he wasn't bored yet. The times were changing, slaves were breaking free, empires were falling, and magic had quietly fallen behind. The masses had long since dismissed their existence, like the vampire, and the werewolf.

She laughed and tried to roll away from him on their king sized bed. Evelyn didn't care about the rest of the world. She had her magic and her riches and Laurent.

"Why don't you marry me?"

She stopped laughing and gave him a fierce look. "If you're proposing, this is a lame attempt. Where's the finesse?"

He pulled gently on one of her soft red curls and as it bounced back, he kissed her. There wasn't a thing she could have done to upset him. She was bratty, selfish, and terribly cute.

"Marry me," he said again, finally able to wrap an arm around her waist. He wasn't sure there had ever been a woman more petite than her.

"Buy me a ring," she said in a haughty tone although Laurent had gotten her at least a thousand priceless rings over the 8 decades they'd been together.

"I'll get you a ring," he replied easily. He came from a legacy of fortune and wealth, money wouldn't deter him.

"I want a golden wedding. A brass cathedral, flower petals everywhere, and violins! I want them to play for me."

He kissed her bare shoulder. "Whatever you want."

It was the very first time she'd ever been in love, there was nothing like the swell in her chest whenever she set her eyes in him. Falling in love with Laurent was painless and easy. There was never a doubt that they'd live forever young and enamored with each other. Until he spoke the unforgivable.

"What?" She muttered, the flowery haze that surrounded them suddenly cleared. "Repeat it, so that I know I haven't gone mad."

Laurent sat up and looked her square in the eye. "Bond with me. We will be the leaders of a coven so powerful the earth will shudder at the mention of our name."

Evelyn, naked all this time, gathered the silk sheets to cover her lithe body as she stood. "Is that why you asked me to marry you?"

"I think the 80 years we've spent together is a testament to how wrong that is. You are the last of your coven, the strongest witch I've ever met! Do this, and we'd be unstoppable." There were stars in his eyes.

Evelyn took a step back. "You wish to take away my freedom, as my father did."

"Your father was a fool!" He roared, Evelyn flinched at the sound. "To think his brilliant plan was to lock you away when you could have been his secret _weapon_! You have the power to bring the world to its knees!"

Tears slipped from her eyes. "I don't care to be the leader of my coven. I just... wanted to get out. And now you're trying to force me back in." She shook her head desperately. "I don't need any more than this. So please..." Her miserable expression was one Laurent hadn't seen in nearly a century. "Don't ask this of me. Don't try to convince me. I won't be moved."

"You, who had immense power but no direction, no poise, not a shred of knowledge of the world around her should be grateful!"

"I... I _am_ ," she was, up until that moment. Her heart raced and she suddenly remembered her mother. She was the only member of her family to offer her a bit of kindness, but standing by her terrible father's side, got her killed. If only she stood up for herself. Of only she stood up for her daughter. She hadn't realized until then that she learned a lesson 80 years ago when she cried in her mother's arms and felt her heart beating through her satin dress.

Her freedom meant more than being in love, it meant more than being the strongest, and it certainly meant more than loyalty to anyone who wasn't her.

"Then do this for us, for me, my dearest Evelyn," he kissed her forehead. "There is no one in the world more suited for this feat than us. Our children will be heirs to everything the sun shines on. We will be gods."

Evelyn nodded. She let the sheets fall to the floor and allowed Laurent to take her back to bed.

The next morning, Evelyn wrote him a goodbye letter. She wouldn't marry him, be his stepping stone to wherever he tried to reach, and not some mindless puppet.

Wherever she went, Laurent would go, leading to a chase lasting for over a century.

* * *

Evelyn opened her eyes. It's was midnight and she was still in the Salvatore house.

"Oh... Right. It's been a hundred years." She never been in one place for this long, she didn't get the chance to think about what had become of her. She used to be happy or so she used to think. Now that she had time to think, even the good memories of Laurent made her stomach ache.

"Bonnie," Evelyn's called but got no response. Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Must you be so impolite?"

 _'I don't owe you the courtesy of responding.'_

"Of course," Evelyn hummed in agreement, as she got from bed. She felt that Laurent was even closer now; it was only a matter of time. Although he was partial to humans, Evelyn knew that he was pushed he'd take out an entire town like Mystic Falls. He was behind at least a dozen mysterious disasters in the name if his undying love for her.

"I should call Darcy." For the first time in a century, she felt lonely.

 _'Why are you dragging more people into this? Isn't my body and my friends enough for you?'_

"No!" She used her magic to throw around objects in the room. "I want _more_!" She'd be damned if she had to settle for less than she wanted.

Evelyn hijacked Stefan's car and took a drive to Matt's house. She liked Darcy but she had to see Matt.

"What are you doing here?" Matt had purposely been low key since finding out that he'd been dating Evelyn and not Bonnie for over a month. He'd heard from Caroline what her list of demands were before she'd give up on Bonnie's body and understood that he was out of his league. There was nothing he could do for her. He was just a human.

"Laurent's going to be here any day now; he's going destroy this town and everyone in it when he doesn't get what he wants."

"So you're going to let go of my friend and finally surrender?" Matt asked, irritated. "If not, then get off my property."

Evelyn glared at him. "I can kill you..." For everything he made her feel, he deserved a cruel death. It was his fault that she stayed even though she knew she was being chased and he still had the nerve to reject her.

"Yeah? Well why don't you?" He was tired of seeing Bonnie's face if it meant it was Evelyn he was speaking to.

A moment of silence passed before Evelyn slapped him clear across his face. Matt hadn't even flinched so she slapped him again. She kept hitting him until he got tired of it and went to hold both of her arms still.

"You're garbage! I could've given you the whole world!" She screamed.

She struggled against him until he shook her so hard she tried out, breathing heavily; she stared angrily up at him.

"What did you think? That I would have gone with whatever you wanted?" He shook her shoulders as he spoke, intent on getting his point across. "You think because you've got a crush on me and you've got my friends body that things would naturally fall the way you want them to. Is that what Laurent taught you?!"

"Let go of me or else," Evelyn hissed.

"Or else you'll level this town instead huh? You're so spoiled that if you can't have something no one will huh? That's you, nothing but a greedy brat!"

She spit on his shirt at those words. "You're a pathetic human being! Trash!"

Matt finally let go of her. "I just might be. But you always be alone and miserable."

Her eyes widened. Alone and miserable, is that what she was? She took a step back.

"That body, Bonnie's friends, and even this town, none of it belongs to you."

"As if I want this body, this run down town or Bonnie's pathetic friends! Bonnie Bennett, who died for love, for this town, was repaid with indifference. She'd live longer without any of it. _I'd_ live longer without it."

"Then why the hell are you right here?"

"Because..!" Evelyn started before she understood what had happened to her. So this was unrequited love? This was wanting someone with your entire heart and none of that mattering to anyone but you. Evelyn pulled her bottom lip into her mouth for a moment. However much she loved Matt, she couldn't tie herself to him, even with Bonnie's face.

"Laurent's coming any day now. Even if... even if you don't want me, please leave town while you can," her voice trembled, she was on the brink of tears. "I would hate it if you died."

Matt snorted. "Thanks for the sentiment," he said dryly and slammed his door shut.

 _'Matt has been through enough supernatural bullshit. He would have never accepted you.'_ Bonnie's voice was almost tender. Evelyn's love for Matt was pitiful after all.

"I understand," Evelyn whispered. She took in the view of Mystic falls from Matt's doorstep, a quiet town with a talent for attracting people like her and especially people like Laurent.

 _'If you really want to make sure Matt is safe you have to take responsibility. Something's gotta give first.'_ Bonnie said and Evelyn was quiet for a moment. Bonnie actually thought that love had changed Evelyn somehow and that she understood what doing everything you could to save the person you love meant.

"As if I'd accept advice from someone who's died as many times as you have." She flipped her hair. "Time to go back to the Salvatore house."

* * *

Caroline cleaned when she was stressed. And if everything was clean, she threw herself into her work. She was the producer of the locally syndicated "Morning Mystic Falls" a morning talk show that was as dull as dirt when she first started. She's won some recognition but Mystic Falls was a small town and she started to think that maybe she outgrew it.

She knew it wasn't his fault for the way his life played out and how much his perfect life was the exact opposite of what his reality was. She was just a band aid.

"Excuse me, Ms. Forbes?" Brandon, her assistant entered her office tentatively. "Stefan is here again today."

Caroline looked up from her computer. She shook her head. Stefan could easily compel her subordinates to take him to her and he was taking the hard road anyway.

"Let him in then," she said.

It was another few minutes before Stefan entered her office. "Sorry to bother you at work. I just wanted to apologize again about Evelyn."

"I don't care about that. Not anymore." Caroline tried to smile but wasn't sure her face showed that. Stefan, her ideal since high school, was never meant for her. "Stefan, I don't want you to settle. You can't have a human life anymore but you can still live a life that's close to it. It just can't be with me."

Stefan nodded. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be granted that kind of peace though. It was hard enough getting over Elena, and getting into a relationship with Caroline but maybe he had to stop trying so hard. Was happiness possible without Elena, even though she chose Damon in the end?

"So," Stefan paused. He and Caroline were just friends now and he suddenly didn't know how to speak to her. "I'll call you then..."

Caroline cracked a smile, one that didn't feel so uncomfortable. "You can call me anytime. But stop coming here, there's enough gossip flowing around already."

"Right," he chuckled. "See you, Caroline." Stefan said and it felt final. They were never going to be the same again and Stefan decided that it was ok. He'll let Caroline go and let himself breathe.

Just then, Damon called. "Where are you?" Stefan asked.

"Back in town with my second favorite Bennett witch." Damon said and Stefan could hear Lucy behind him scoffing at the idea that she'd be his favorite anything. "Are you home now?"

"No, I'm about to head back though, why?"

"I've got a plan set in motion baby bro. I wanted you to be there to watch me save the day for once in my life."

"Are you sure you're plan is going to work? Wait for me and don't do anything stupid."

"Too late brother, I'm four steps ahead of you, and I'm going to get my best friend back. It'll all be over by the time you get here!" Damon said brightly before hanging up.

Damon turned to Lucy and gave her a smile. "You ready doll face?"

"That's a step up from the last dozen names you had for me."

Damon shrugged. "Bonnie likes my nick names. Except for that one time, I called her Bonita Magica. She was pretty close to slicing my nipple off."

"Gross," Lucy gagged.

"It was pretty hot actually," Damon admitted with a short chuckle.

They quietly approached the Salvatore house. Damon listened carefully and heard Evelyn's heartbeat move from the kitchen to the living room. She was talking to herself. No. She was talking to Bonnie inside of her. Damon gritted his teeth.

"She's in the living room. Through that window," Damon pointed. "Can you do it?"

"This is coming from the guy who boasted to his brother about saving the day before he gets home? Don't doubt now. Just go in and distract her. Keep her near the window so I can see."

Damon nodded and made his way to his front door. This was going to work. He felt it. He seriously missed her. There was nothing else he thought about other than getting her back. This was what really losing his mind felt like. And she was the only one who'd understand that.

"Hello Damon," Evelyn smiled as he got closer to her. "It's been a long time. Not up to no good I hope."

"Well you know me Ev, can't help but scheme."

He could her Lucy inching closer to the window. Damon cursed in his head; he wanted to get this over with.

"In any case, Bonnie is happy to see you. It would be nice if you played along with me, at least Bonnie won't have to wonder where you are all the time."

"Bonnie doesn't like being played with. I know. I've tried."

Evelyn laughed. "I can almost see what she likes about you. Using jokes and sarcasm to hide you're true emotions. And despite how truly selfish and impulsive you are... There's a decent heart in there."

"Nope, sold that _decades_ ago."

Evelyn laughed. "There it is again! But on a more serious note..." Evelyn's voice faded out, her eyes shifted to the side before refocusing on Damon's.

 _'What happening?!'_ Bonnie screamed. Suddenly there was a blaring pain throughout her entire body. Unless Evelyn gave her control of her body, Bonnie wasn't supposed I be able to feel anything!

Evelyn was trying to catch a steady breath when she noticed Damon watching her expectedly. Her head felt like it was spilling in two and she finally understood what was happening to her.

"You think... I'm _easy_... Huh?" Evelyn could barely form words once her body started to feel as if ants were crawling under her skin.

 _'Please make it stop!'_ Bonnie cried out.

"I'm doing what I have to." Damon's stared intensely at her. How long would it take?

"I will not be moved!" Evelyn screamed and every glass window in the mansion shattered.

Lucy kept on with the spell from outside despite the screaming from inside.

"Give her back!" Damon shouted back.

"I would rather die with the both of you!" She hissed and made the mansion light up in flames.

It was only then that Lucy stopped her chanting. Bonnie couldn't come back if her body was damaged beyond repair.

Evelyn never topped screaming. Intent on destroying everyone in the house. Bonnie could feel the flames more with every second. She was sure she was going to die.

"Bonnie!" Damon grabbed her and Evelyn tried to free herself from his hold. "I'm not losing you!" He had to get out of the mansion before it collapsed on top of them. He pulled Bonnie into his arms and moved lightning fast to escape his burning home.

Bonnie coughed when she finally got to breathe fresh air. As Lucy ran up to them, she watched half of the mansion fall into itself. She cursed under her breath.

Bonnie clung to Damon's body, too afraid to let go right away. "Bonnie?" Damon muttered, unsure if this was another one of Evelyn's tricks.

"Did it work?" Lucy asked, anxious.

Bonnie frowned, guessing what happened just a moment ago and why. "No," she answered, still catching her breath.

Lucy frowned. "I tried to separate you two," Lucy started, watching her cousin be gently kneeled down to the ground.

"She's knows that now..." Damon said. It was their only shot really. He underestimated Evelyn's will to live or die. Now that she knows he went so far as to force them apart, he wasn't sure what she'd do.

"What do we do now?" Lucy asked, she was exhausted. Evelyn is stronger than she imagined. She didn't expect so much resistance.

"Now we do nothing," Bonnie whispered. She couldn't let Lucy put her through that kind of pain again. It was unbearable. "It was too much," tears fell from her green eyes. "It felt like death."

Damon cursed aloud. "It wasn't supposed to end this way!"

As Damon continued to curse and yell, Bonnie closed her eyes and tried to cam her heart. In the back of her head though, she could hear Evelyn's voice telling her that she's earned 24 hours.

"She's tired. She's giving me a day."

"I'm so sorry Bonnie." Lucy's voice was low and wrecked.

"Can we get out of here?" Bonnie asked as she raised her head to look at Damon. He gritted his teeth before he picked her up again, starling Bonnie at first. If Lucy's spell didn't kill her, Evelyn would have, and Damon hated feeling this hopeless. Part of him wished he didn't care so much. But then Bonnie's hold on him tightened and he regretted wishing his life was different. Bonnie occupied too much of his heart now.

She was trembling in his arms. Damon caught himself wondering if he could have protected her if he hadn't left her alone that night of the party or if Caroline hadn't made it seem as if they were too close. They were happy once...

They travelled by foot to Bonnie's home.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," Lucy said to Damon as he carried Bonnie up to her room.

He eased her into the bed. "There you go. Considering we just escaped from a burning building, I'm going to get you some water," Damon said with a tiny smile.

"Don't," she held onto his hand. "Stay right here."

Damon nodded, not only did he stay; he climbed into bed next to her. Bonnie rested her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you... For trying," Bonnie whispered.

"I tried and failed. I don't deserve a thank you. I don't... Know what else to do. I'm tired of looking at you and seeing Evelyn."

Bonnie nodded. "Me too," she said, moving so that her face rested in the crock of Damon's neck. It's been too long she could use her own senses. The feel of muscle under Damon's black cotton shirt, the softest hint of cologne, seeing the blue of his eyes, all things she took for granted before.

Now the stirring in her stomach was clear as day which made her whole ordeal even worse. She didn't even have the time to herself to figure out what she wanted to do about her unwanted feelings.

"Damon…" She pressed her body against him and reached to touch his face.

"Bonnie?" Damon asked, alarmed. His body stiffened.

"I know... This is weird. I just..."

Damon carefully moved from Bonnie. "Bonnie?" He had to ask again.

"Yes Bonnie," she confirmed with a sigh.

He touched her cheek and watched her closely. "You're not losing your mind are you?" He pressed his palm against her forehead.

"Damon, I'm fine!" She tried to shake off the cool hand. She felt silly.

"No you're not. Bonnie, you're burning up." He bit his hand and offers her his blood. "Take it and go to bed." Bonnie rolled her eyes but drank the blood anyway. She hated drinking blood, his blood; it was hot and left the taste of metal on her tongue.

"I really was fine."

Damon smirked. "Admit it, Bennett, sometimes I'm right."

Bonnie laughed and then in grew quiet. Bonnie wasn't sure she'd ever get a chance to look at him the way she does now. "Damon, if I somehow don't make it out of here..."

"What do you mean if? I'm not giving up."

She shook her head. "There's no way you can try another stunt like that and get away with it."

Damon stood, the rage in his eyes, Bonnie knew them well. He was going to fight her on this.

"So you're giving up?!"

"I'm _not_... I'm just..."

"So she broke you huh? You're _this_ person now? The Bonnie I know would have died trying!"

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Why is it always me? To die trying, it's my legacy isn't it? Why does it... Have to be me?"

Damon felt like punching a wall. It wasn't enough that he tries; he had to get her out of this. "Bonnie..." He held her face with the both of his hands. "Bon," he brushed her hair from her face. Bonnie remained silent. "I'm gonna get you out of this and I don't care if Evelyn knows this. You're my best friend and I'm not gonna lose you to anyone. But I don't want a Bonnie Bennett that lies down and takes it."

Bonnie nodded reluctantly. "Ok."

"Ok? What else?!"

Finally, the tear she'd been fighting had slipped from her eye and ran down her cheek. "I wanna fight."

"I can't hear you!"

"I wanna fight!" she screamed.

"That's the Bonnie I know!" He pressed his forehead against hers, "if you forget again, who you really are, I'll remind you."

Bonnie allowed her fears to melt away. Even If she died trying, she would have given it her all. They would have tried their hardest and there would be nothing they'd regret about it.

"It's a deal then..." Bonnie lulled forward and quickly fell asleep.

Damon chuckled. "I knew you were tired." He picked her up and gently placed her back in bed. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"Well?" Lucy asked. She'd seen and heard Damon's declaration. To die trying, it wasn't something she'd ever encourage.

Damon was about to speak when his phone rang. It was Stefan and Damon answered the call.

"What the hell happen to my house?!" Stefan yelled.

"Long story brother. Long story."


	11. Conrad

Note: I'm still alive...

 **Chapter 11**

 **"Conrad"**

Stefan and Damon stood outside what was left of their home. The fire and smoke were gone but the ashes still puffed into the air whenever the wind blew. Stefan had his hands on his hips and Damon's arms were crossed. Both of their heads tilted to the right.

"We can probably just ignore the burnt parts," Damon said as he squinted at the scene. "Buff out the furniture…"

"You burned down our house..."

"Technically, Evelyn burned down our house." He corrected.

Stefan glared at Damon before tackling him to the ground. Stefan punched his brother until Damon broke his nose and the skin on his knuckles cut open from the bones From Damon's nose. In a lot of ways, the house was all Stefan had left and he couldn't even go home to it anymore.

Finally, Damon found the resolve to hit Stefan back. They threw fast punches at each other for several minutes before they tore apart from exhaustion.

"We don't have a house anymore!" Stefan shouted as he gestures towards the ruins.

"It was a small price to pay for Bonnie's safety." Damon shouted back, realizing then that there wasn't a thing he wouldn't sacrifice in the name of her. He exhaled. He wasn't giving up but his shoulders were stiff and he knew he was running out of options.

"Except Bonnie's not safe is she? She's right where she's been for damn near two months now. Nothing's changed, Stefan pointed at him, "including you."

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

"I mean we're gonna do this _my_ way, brother."

* * *

Stefan's way required patience, the one thing Damon had little of. Stefan's plan of action was to simply wait for Laurent and strike a deal with him. Evelyn for Bonnie's body and Consciousness.

And since they'll be waiting for Laurent, Evelyn won't see it coming. As far as Stefan understood, this man Laurent is probably the only one on their side of the world that could be stronger than her.

Fortunately, it was only another two days before Laurent arrived.

"Name?" Matt asked the man who attempted to drive into mystic falls. He and his men have combed through anyone who tried to get into mystic falls for over a few days now. It was a favor to Stefan and a debt he owned to Bonnie.

The man smiled curiously. "I've never needed identification to enter a small town like this before."

"Yeah well, times are changing."

The man nodded. "Of course." He handed Matt his ID and patiently waited for it to be returned to him. However, the officer hesitated to return it. "Is there something wrong?"

The officer looked up and shook his head. "No, none at all. Have a nice day Mr. Sewell."

The man's smile never left him. "Thank you, I hope you have one as well."

"I can only be so lucky," Matt replied dryly before signaling to his men to let the driver through.

He considered briefly that if a magical being wanted in, there was no way he and his men would be able to stop them. How does someone spot a hundreds year old witch?

The man, Mr. Sewell, drove through mystic falls and took in its small town sceneries. He wasn't impressed. He was surprised anything was still living here.

He drove by a mansion; it had burned down, and wondered how it all happened. How unfortunate for the residents. He then leisurely made his way to a lesser grand home. It seemed to be right in the center of town, front water fountain, perfectly manicured grass, glossy exterior, the works.

His heart raced as he approached the front door, he could hardly keep from smiling. He would see his beloved again. He rang the doorbell, as he waited; he adjusted his tie and brushed off his suit.

"May I help you?" A blonde asked when she swung the door open. He could tell immediately that she was a vampire and fought off the urge to suck his teeth.

"My name is Conrad Sewell, you're housing a witch friend of mine and I'd like her to be returned to me."

Caroline's eyes darkened. "You must be Laurent."

"I have very little patience for your kind so if you don't mind..." He raised his hand and Caroline felt like her head was spilling in half.

Stefan, hearing Caroline scream, flashed to the front door. He could tell right away what happened.

"Mr. Vygotsky I assume?"

He released his power on Caroline. "I go by Conrad Sewell now, but yes. Now, about my dearest Evelyn." He looked around the room. She was definitely there, he wouldn't mistake it.

"She's resting," Stefan answered seriously. Whatever Lucy had put her through the day of the fire had out her and Bonnie to sleep. They were on day two of rest.

"I see," Conrad nodded. "It's about time she rose from her slumber. If you can step aside," he tried to walk by him but Stefan stepped into his path. Conrad sighed. "Is a fight what you want?" He asked in a bored tone. Before he could say anymore though, he was shot in the back with a tranquilizer.

His body dropped instantly to the floor. Stefan looked up to see Damon holding a gun. Caroline found satisfaction seeing his body on the ground however; shooting him wasn't a part of the plan.

"What the hell did you do?!" Stefan yelled.

"Oh come on, he was going to kill you. Look at how much he hesitated with a pretty blonde like Caroline," Damon groaned as he picked up the body and dragged it to an arm chair.

"We don't know if he would have helped us and now he definitely won't."

"Damon's right," Caroline quickly added.

"He is?" Stefan questioned.

"I am?" Damon said with an expression that matched his brother's.

"Yes. You saw what he did to me. Damon's right, Laurent is just going to blow through this place, take Evelyn and leave. We can't let that happen." She helped Damon sit Laurent properly on his seat. "Let's tie him up..."

"How is this going to help Bonnie?" Stefan said, assuming that both Damon and Caroline had effectively lost their minds.

"He helps us or we kill him," Damon answered simply.

"Yeah, because your way has worked so many times in the past."

Stefan and Damon argued over Laurent's unconscious body until he began to stir.

"Well that was fast," Damon muttered uneasily. He was sure he shot Laurent with enough juice to pout an elephant in a coma.

Laurent's eyes were glassy when he opened them.

"Wakey wakey," Damon said as Laurent's vision focused on him. Part of him was glad that witches were still human, that they could still be broken with enough force.

"Vampires are a rash breed," he managed to say with eyes fighting to stay open.

Stefan walked up to the witch. "My name is Stefan Salvatore."

"So you are? You've had quite the reputation Mr. Salvatore; there are corners of the world that still fear your return... Stefan the Ripper." Laurent spoke calmly as he got to his feet. He was nothing short of irritated with his vampire acquaintances though.

"My brother's pretty popular. Now back to the point. You want Evelyn right? We give her to you if you separate her from the body she's occupying."

"Give her to me? That's to say you've trapped her here?" He knew well enough that it was impossible. The only thing stronger than witches were gods themselves.

Damon smirked. "We've given Evelyn a run for her money. She's currently unconscious upstairs. She has been of two days now."

It was then that Conrad's eyes darkened. Without warning, the sliver knifes in the kitchen came speeding through the air and sliced Damon's right arm and leg off. His body tumbled to the ground in a bloody pile.

Caroline screamed and Stefan flashed forward to break Laurent's neck but Laurent saw him coming and used his magic to throw him across the room.

Laurent quickly turned to Caroline, set on finishing what he started when he met her only an hour ago when the scream of a woman caught his attention.

Conrad looked at the girl who had tortured eyes. "Please stop!"

"Who...?" Conrad started but wasn't allowed to finish his question.

"Can't you tell just by looking!?" Her green eyes were intense and cut right into his soul.

"Evelyn..." He breathed a sigh of relief. She had different body now but Evelyn's old soul was unmistakable.

"Stop what you're doing."

"Evelyn," he said again, and rushed to hug her. Evelyn allowed this but only to make her point clear, one that Laurent understood as soon as he touched her. "Whose body is this?" He hated that she resorted to taking someone's body, it was high stakes magic.

"The last Bennett's of course."

He smiled a bit. "Of course." He'd have to scold her on the ramifications of magic this extreme later.

She freed herself of his hold and moved to help Damon reattach his limbs. "You were always dramatic," she said with a quiet voice. "If vampires weren't so resilient, this would surely be a massacre." Damon was unconscious by then, blacking out from shock and extreme blood lost in losing two appendages.

"They said they trapped you here. An obvious lie should be punished," his voice was grim. However it wasn't the lie that set him off, it was simply the idea of Evelyn being trapped in a room he hasn't built with his own hands. She was his after all.

Evelyn didn't bother checking on Caroline or Stefan; Damon got the worst of it after all. Bonnie had done nothing less than lose her mind seeing what Laurent had done to Damon when they'd finally awoken and reached downstairs. Bonnie's emotions had torn Evelyn up inside. If she hadn't stopped Laurent, Evelyn wasn't sure what else Bonnie's emotions were capable of.

"I wasn't trapped." Evelyn was exhausted still. "But you knew that."

"Then you were waiting for me after all?" There was no reason for lies between them. For everything he wanted from her, he had always been sincere.

She glared. "No."

"Were you tired of running?" He stepped closer to her. Evelyn isn't a fair skinned, blue eyed beauty anymore. The Evelyn before him had warm brown skin, red wine hair, and brilliant forest green eyes. She was still the woman he loved. It wouldn't matter to him what she looked like or whose body she took over at this point. Evelyn was Evelyn. "They were going to give you to me in exchange for this body and the soul I can tell is still attached to it."

"I'd rather die than have my fate decided for me." She hissed and Laurent didn't doubt it.

"Ah, so you steal the body if a young witch with legendary blood and decide your fate along with hers?" He questioned has he paced the room, the bodies of vampires decorating the hardwood floors.

Evelyn smirked. "Are you calling me a hypocrite? I hate being called anything but beautiful."

"Did you miss me?" He stared at her lovingly but there was a long moment before she responded.

"No," she said as she looked away. She spent a hundred years running from him. There was so way she would miss him.

"Evelyn, I can sense how weak you are right now. I have to wonder who put you in this shape. Maybe I should thank them..." He voice got lower and Evelyn's defenses piqued.

Conrad threw her against the wall with his magic. He was sure not to use so much force that it would kill her but this was his only chance. He'll have her, no matter what.

It was hard getting from the floor, Evelyn's vision was spotty. She blinked hard to clear her vision. From the other side of the room, she could see Laurent hang Damon, Caroline, and Stefan on the wall. She wasn't sure right away, what he was thinking to do.

She finally got to her feet and tried to use her powers to choke him but Laurent was right, Lucy had done more damage than she expected. Her powers were considerably weaker.

"Oh Evelyn. You're so precious. But like I said, whoever got to you before me is working to my favor."

It was then that Stefan had regained consciousness. He couldn't move to help Bonnie but he also wasn't sure what was happening to her, or Evelyn.

"Stay... Away from… me," Evelyn tried to put up a barrier between them but Laurent easily broke through it.

His hands seized her face, his thumbs pressed hard on her temple. He chanted quickly as Evelyn struggled against him.

Evelyn's world went dark and when the light shone again, she was exactly where Laurent wanted her, trapped inside of Bonnie's body.

The whirlwind of physical and emotional trauma all seemed to settle for a moment. Bonnie was looking up at Laurent with her own eyes.

"We haven't been properly introduced. I go by Conrad Sewell. Please forget the name Laurent."

It took him a single day to overpower Evelyn. Just that was terrifying enough. Bonnie was speechless.

"I don't plan to hurt you," Conrad started casually. "That's a promise. However, I don't intend to leave quietly. While this town—Mystic Falls—isn't in my or my sweet Evelyn's taste, but it'll have to do for now."

Bonnie shut her eyes tight and then slowly opened them. She had to get it together. Take care of Evelyn, get rid of Laurent, it was all up to her now.

"Speak," Conrad insisted.

Bonnie's throat tightened in resistance. She didn't want to talk. She wanted to eat something, sleep for a day—talk to Damon—and then sleep for another day.

But this was Laurent—Conrad. If Evelyn was strong, Conrad was invincible.

"My name..." She choked, "is Bonnie."

He stepped closer to her. Examining her face. "Bonnie? Bonnie Bennett?" He didn't need a response though, she looked exactly like her. "How's Sheila?" His face was oddly warm.

"She died," she answered coldly, hoping not to betray her heart in making it obvious that grams' death still affected her.

Conrad frowned. "She was a good woman. Righteous to a fault with the sharpest tongue I've ever come across. Evelyn was right to find you," he reached out to touch her cheek but Bonnie quickly tilted her head away from his hand. He smiled still. "Prepare yourself Ms. Bonnie Bennett. I plan on making you my wife."


	12. Perspectives

**Chapter 12  
"Perspectives"**

Darcy wondered about Evelyn often. She hadn't seen or heard from her in weeks. It was odd, she had definitely felt kinship between them but then she nothing short of disappeared.

For right now though, she stood in front of her mother who she confessed to being a witch to a minute ago. Her mother, Solange, hadn't even blinked at the confession.

"So, you really are huh? You went all the way into adulthood without it, I just thought..." her shoulders rose and fell casually.

"Wait, you're not shocked? Confused? Terrified that I might be insane?" Darcy offered. Her mother was certainly taking it better than she did.

Solange smiled bitterly. "No. I'm not surprised. Your grandmother was a witch, and both of your great grandparents were witches too."

Darcy couldn't believe it. "And you?"

Solange shrugged. "I gave that up. I knew early on what magic was capable of, I didn't want that life and I certainly didn't want it for you but I would have left that decision up to you like my mother did for me."

Darcy hugged her tight. "I'm so happy mama."

Solange laughed. "Well it took you long enough."

"I can feel everything. I can't hear the voices of flowers and trees and the wind."

"Witches are one with nature. But you must understand that nature has a balance. Don't use your magic to tip the scales."

"I won't. I promise." Darcy had responded immediately and her mother was sure that Darcy hadn't truly understood.

The next day, Solange handed down the grimoires of her family. Darcy was overwhelmed. Some of them were at least 10 pounds.

"Have fun," Solange said with a wink. While she found happiness in an ordinary life, Darcy was born to be free and exceptional.

Darcy sat in front of them and stared. She was finally alone but that wasn't what she wanted. What she wanted was a friend who understood. She missed Evelyn who she hasn't spoken to in some time.

Something had definitely gone wrong.

With Alaric avoiding her, it was hard to ask him anything but she was getting worried and she had to pull all her strength to look him in the eyes.

"Alar—ah—Mr. Saltzman?" She knocked on his classroom door gingerly. She wasn't sure what category to put him under anymore.

Alaric looked up at her from his desk. She was still beautiful but he had to keep calm or else he wouldn't be able stick to his to his resolve.

"Yes?"

"I... wanted to ask about Evelyn. Is she ok? I haven't heard from her in a long time." She knew he would have answers. She also knew that Alaric preferred to leave her out of it.

Alaric shook his head. "She's fine but it's better if you didn't try to get close right now."

There he was again, telling her what to do, as if she was a child. Her brows knitted together in frustration.

"I want to see her. So please..."

Alaric chuckled. "Even if you found the person you think is Evelyn. You wouldn't be able to speak to her. As far as I know, Evelyn's not going to be back anytime soon."

"If she's in trouble why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Darcy, I'm trying to protect you here. I'm trying really hard."

"Then stop!" She continued to shout, "I don't know why I can't have the both of you! I don't know why you want to separate me and my magic and how happy being a witch makes me. If somethings going on with Evelyn, I want to help. I know I can!"

"You think Evelyn's the one that needs help? Evelyn's the bad guy here!" Alaric start to shout then then pulled back. "She doesn't deserve you and she shouldn't be the one to bring you into this world."

"Fine. You won't help me. I'll just help myself," she turned to leave but Alaric rushed to grab her arm.

"Darcy, don't do anything drastic. I'm begging you."

Darcy sighed. "If you help me, then I won't have to do it alone. And you get to be there if I run into trouble."

Alaric's face gave him away before he could respond. If he could clearly show Darcy the darkness that engulfed the supernatural world then she'd surely prefer her old life. However, there's a magical wedding being planned and this couldn't have come at a worse time.

"I'll bring you to her."

Darcy smiled, making Alaric's heart burst

* * *

Caroline used to think there was no happier occasion than a wedding. Two people in love ready to sign their lives to each other and pronounce it to the world all in the same day. Weddings were supposed to be special and full of love. Her warm thoughts on marriage were falling apart as she watched her best friend open a box with a dress made just for her, ordered by the man she's set to marry but didn't love.

"It's nice..." Bonnie said, her voice was low.

"Bonnie, there must be something..." Caroline felt like crying but she's been crying for a while now. Why was it always Bonnie who had to sacrifice herself? She would have taken Bonnie's place if she could.

Bonnie didn't respond right away, she was listening to Evelyn tell her there was no way out. There was a reason she was running for a hundred years, Laurent is too strong.

 _'Although I'm surprised you're so willing to go through with it,'_ Evelyn said, the easygoing tone in her voice was nothing short of irritating to Bonnie. But as far as she knew, Evelyn was trapped with her and in no better a position. Laurent is perfectly satisfied with having both Bonnie and Evelyn's magical prowess under his thumb.

Bonnie closed her eyes and tried to stay calm. She tried to remember why she wasn't putting up a fight and then she opened them and Caroline was sitting in front of her with a deep concern written across her face.

"I don't care about the dress Bonnie," if this was something Bonnie wanted, she'd care about every detail though.

Bonnie tried smiling but wasn't sure if it was convincing. "I don't have a mother or a father. I don't have grams anymore. I don't have Elena... I have to protect the ones I have left."

Caroline shook her head. "Stefan and Damon and Lucy are going to come up with something. They'll figure it out!"

 _'Oh. The two idiots that planned to save the day last time sure have a lot of nerve. What do you think, Bonnie, you think Damon's going to_ save _you?'_

"I'm not giving up so neither should you."

 _'Doesn't she remember how easily Laurent could have gotten rid of her the first time? Vampires are so willful!'_

"Shut up!" Bonnie snapped. Caroline stared wide eyed at her and when Bonnie pulled herself together, she apologized. Bonnie's hands shook.

"Don't... Say sorry," Caroline whispered. "Don't apologize for this thing that's out of your hands."

Bonnie's steeled herself. It wasn't the time for getting emotional. She was about to sign her life away to this man, she has decades in front of her to be miserable.

"We've been through worse haven't we? I mean... Marriage isn't the worst." Bonnie offered.

"But," Caroline started before Bonnie quickly gestured for her to stop.

Bonnie got up from the floor. "Don't speak too much. He might be hearing."

"Bonnie..."

"Shhh," she said softly.

She wished everything would go silent actually. Both Caroline and Evelyn haven't given her a moment to herself since she agreed to Laurent's demands.

Damon ran off with Lucy and Stefan to come up with a plan to get rid of Laurent and Evelyn but Bonnie wasn't convinced. She watched Laurent cut Damon in half without any effort at all. She wouldn't be able to stomach another scene like that again.

 _'Oh, the things you do for love. If you let Laurent get distracted while dismembering your friends, you would have had time to escape.'_

Again, the image of Damon losing his arm and legs flashed in her mind and suddenly tears were in her eyes. If Evelyn hadn't stopped Laurent in time, he would have killed all of her friends in less than a minute.

Caroline hugged her and let Bonnie cry her eyes out on her chest.

Then the door opened and Laurent stood there. "Tears of joy?"

Bonnie turned away from him to wipe away her tears. Caroline stepped into Laurent's view of Bonnie. She wiped her own tears away before crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Why are you here? You said you'd give us space."

"Hold your tongue," Laurent growled. "Your bred wouldn't even exist without magical forces like mine so don't mistake who answers to whom here."

 _'Let's bet on who Laurent kills first, shall we?'_ Evelyn laughed.

"Caroline," Bonnie grabbed Caroline's shoulder and turned to around to look in her eyes. "Stop."

Caroline bit her tongue, the expression on Bonnie's face was too heart wrenching to deny her anything she wanted. "Ok... Ok."

"Caroline, leave the room."

Caroline was about to put up another fight but didn't want Bonnie to stress any more than she already was. She squeezed Bonnie's shoulder. "I'll be right outside ok?"

Bonnie nodded. "Thanks."

"How are you?" Conrad asked once Caroline was out of the room although he was aware that she'd be listening in anyway.

"Fine."

Conrad nodded. "And the dress?"

"It's nice."

He took a seat. "I wish you agreed to move into better living conditions. This town surely has better."

"What do you want?"

"This is the house you grew up in right? And mystic falls is the town you consider yours. What else is there? I want to know everything else about you." Conrad answered honestly.

"I'm giving you my powers and my bloodline in exchange for you not killing every single person I care about. Why do you want more?"

"Oh Bonnie, you misunderstand me. I plan on taking very good care of you. You also house my beautiful Evelyn. She'd be distressed if she wasn't spoiled."

Bonnie didn't want to think about the strange love he had for Evelyn but she couldn't help but wonder why it lasted for nearly two centuries. How had they managed to be a part of each other's lives for so long?

"How sweet," she said dryly.

"Don't be bitter. I'll remain as faithful to you as I am to Evelyn." Conrad seemed pleased with himself.

Bonnie shook her head. She didn't understand him and it hurt her head trying.

"All I ask is that you return the favor. Absolute loyalty."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Or else you kill my friends. So that means I don't have any choice now do I?"

Conrad smiled. "Luckily for me, Evelyn found someone with a heart as full of compassion as yours." He held her face gently in his hands. "You might have noticed that there is no one she truly cares about. She would have let those friends of yours die if it meant she could escape my grasp."

"I don't doubt it," she said before stepping away from him "But you're obviously satisfied either way right?"

"I've been a very patient man these last two centuries. It's nothing to spare the lives of your friends for a greater purpose. Now that I have you and Evelyn, there's no magical force that can threaten us."

"Why does something like that matter?"

"You, who is a direct descendant of the witch who created the first immortal being, and doesn't even care, wouldn't understand."

"Qetsiyah did it for love; she wasn't trying to be legendary!" Bonnie never thought one day she'd be defending Qetsiyah in anyway shape or form. These months have been full of surprises.

"Why can't I have both? I can love you forever and be a god." The light in Conrad's eyes had frightened her. They were the exact opposite.

"I don't love you, Conrad, I never could."

"It's a bit early for you to, dear," he chuckled. "We've only just met. But with me by your side, you'll be living until the end of time with the same face you woke up today with. Love will come naturally some other time."

 _'Tsk. So full of himself. You'd think chasing me for a hundred years would have humbled him.'_ Evelyn sucked her teeth.

Bonnie's gaze dropped to the floor. It wasn't that she gave up, not really. But how could she fight this? What wasn't she seeing?

"Don't give me that face. I can promise you a lot of fun once you've allowed yourself to go with it. Instead of a sad fate, consider this your glorious destiny."

 _'Glorious...'_ Evelyn's voice held a touch of sadness.

"Tell me, how is Evelyn doing in there? She must be bored." He said and Evelyn laughed.

"She hates you, why don't you get that?"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. You see, sweet Evelyn must have had dozens of opportunities to kill me. I was sleeping soundly when she ran away, why hadn't she stabbed me then?"

 _'I thought you would have left me alone. Not chase me for a hundred years, you bastard!'_

"That's your basis? She didn't kill you so it must be love?" Bonnie hissed but deep inside she's seen love do incredible and disastrous things. And there was never any other explanation other than love.

Conrad smiled. "I don't suppose a woman like you with a crystal clear heart would understand."

 _'I don't have a black heart!'_

"You two are..." Bonnie couldn't finish her sentence. While she was otherwise terrified of what Laurent was capable of, he was nothing short of an idiot when it came to Evelyn. "Forget it."

"This Sunday is ours Bonnie. Cheer up by then won't you?"

Bonnie said nothing. Instead she casted her eyes towards the open window and wondered where Damon had run off to. She wanted to see him again.

* * *

Outside of town, Damon turned away from the diner window he sat near. At the table were Stefan and Lucy, both of which had no idea how to move forward. And as much as he wanted to be annoyed with them, he hated himself even more for not being useful.

"I've been reading up on the kind of spell Evelyn used to take Bonnie's body. Even if we managed to separate them, Evelyn is still going to need a host body. If Laurent or Conrad, whatever, wants Evelyn, she's going to need a new body too."

"I don't give a damn what that guy wants. We kill the both of them then!"

"Strong words for someone who literally lost and arm and a leg going against this guy," Lucy said with a rool of her eyes. "And can you keep your voice down?" Lucy and Stefan looked around them to see if anyone was looking there way.

"He caught us off guard!" Damon reasoned.

"Even so!" Lucy knew nothing would get done if she let Stefan and Damon derail the mission. "Even so, he's strong. We know that Evelyn would rather die than me force her out of Bonnie's body—taking Bonnie's life with her. We also know that Laurent would rather massacre a room full of people than let Evelyn get away."

"So we get Evelyn a new body." Stefan's voice was low and deep.

"I don't even know how to do that."

"Well, figure it out. Get a little proactive." Damon tapped his finger to his brain.

Lucy sighed. Her shoulders were tight with stress. While she normally didn't like vampires for the trouble they caused, the damage witches could rack up was on another level.

"I need time."

"Except there's an all-powerful magical wedding happening in a few days," Stefan reminded them. "Who knows of Bonnie will be the same after."

"What he wants won't hurt her—it shouldn't. Not physically anyway. He'll be stronger than ever but so will she." Magic had a way of making things much more complex. If Laurent wasn't a witch, she was sure this all would have been taken care of already.

"So we go through with the wedding and catch him off guard afterward?" Stefan offered.

Lucy shook her head. "He'd be unbelievably strong by then. Bonnie is offering her magic to him. She'll be stronger but not even close to him in strength."

"And I'm not Bonnie marry anyone—ever—no—no—not going to happen." He turned to Lucy and said "You seem to have a lot of answers. Tell us how you think we're gonna get Bonnie out of this."

"I'll figure it out—how to get Evelyn a body. I can already take a wild guess and say that means taking someone else's life and body."

"It's what we do," Damon said with a sly grin. "Let's leave the witch to her work. I've got to get to my own witch and let her know I'm putting in all the hours it'll take to get rid of that scumbag."

"Bonnie isn't your witch," Lucy grumbled. "Besides, Conrad definitely has his ear to the ground in Mystic Falls. It's better if you don't let Bonnie in on what's going on until the last minute."

"Just do what you've got to do," Damon sucked his teeth and pushed Stefan from his seat to get out of the booth. "See you ladies later."

"I'm not..." Stefan started to say but Damon was already out of the door. "A lady." He finished to himself.

Stefan turned back to Lucy who wore an annoyed expression. "Is he an idiot?"

"He hasn't spoken to her in a while..." Stefan sighed.

"So? What? He loves her. I get it. But he can't afford to be reckless. Not this time. Not only will we not get her back but Conrad will kill us all for trying."

"And he knows that. He knows Bonnie knows that too, but being apart right now might be driving Damon insane."

Lucy shook her head. "Don't protect him."

"I'm not. I, unfortunately, get it. I get trying to stay away and being pulled in anyway. He has to see her."

She cracked a smile. "Speaking from experience are we? What was her name. Still pining after Katherine?"

"There's no one," Stefan waved off the comment. "Now how can I help you?"

The mood turned somber. "As much as I'd hate to do this and it's against everything I stand for... Evelyn is going to need a host body. So, how clear is your conscience?"

~~~~o

Damon had left taking care of Bonnie up to Caroline. But he wouldn't waste time hiding from Conrad. Even if it meant ignoring the trauma of having his arm and leg sliced off. He's seen worse, he convinced himself.

As he walked to Bonnie's place, curiously enough, he ran into Alaric and the woman he's obviously in love with, Darcy.

"And where are you two love birds going?" Damon forced a smile.

Alaric groaned and looked him in the eyes. "We're going to see Evelyn."

"Evelyn?"

"Yes, she wants to see Evelyn and I had no reason to stop her." Alaric nodded toward Darcy.

Damon chuckled before turning to Darcy himself as she spoke. "I would like it if you didn't talk as if I wasn't in front of you."

"You're a new witch, and I'm sure you feel pretty strong but Evelyn is out of capacity at the moment. So you might as well run along—" Damon couldn't finish his sentence before he was thrown from Darcy's personal space and crashing into the building behind him, leaving a large cracked imprint on the wall and falling to the ground.

"Let's go Alaric," Darcy said firmly before she continued to walk down the street.

Alaric went to help Damon off the ground. "She's not really one to mess with right now. But she'll back off once she sees what's going on for herself."

"Well I can't say I'm surprised. Bonnie set me on fire when she got her powers."

"You two sure have fond memories together," Alaric said sarcastically before running to catch up with Darcy. "That was unnecessary don't you think?"

"No. I think I'm doing what I have to. It's very necessary," she hadn't bothered to turn to him as she spoke.

Alaric once again yielded to Darcy's determination. He was always going to lose to her. Instead of pushing her away, he considered falling into her.

"We're here," he said.

Alaric called Bonnie's cell phone and a moment later, Bonnie opened the front door.

"Evelyn!" She ran in and hugged her. "I thought you were in trouble!" Her wide grin flattened once she got a good look at the person in her arms. "Evelyn?"

"My name is Bonnie," she replied and Darcy quickly let her go.

"What did you do to Evelyn?" Darcy asked, suddenly more afraid for her friend than before.

Bonnie, annoyed, shot Alaric a glare. He shrugged.

 _'What a foolish girl...'_ Evelyn said and Bonnie felt an odd bout of warmth in her chest. She put her hand over her heart and stared at Darcy wide eyed. _'Send her home already.'_ Evelyn finished. The warmth in Bonnie's chest intensified.

"Evelyn... Is fine," Bonnie felt compelled to treat Darcy kindly. "But you might not ever see her again."

Darcy took a step back but wouldn't give up so easily. "What happened? How are you Bonnie and not Evelyn?" The back of Darcy's eyes stung.

"Darcy, let's go, come on," Alaric took Darcy's hand, it was trembling.

"Tell me what happened, please!"

 _'Tell her to go ahead and forget me,'_ Evelyn grumbled and then Bonnie finally understood.

"Evelyn's consciousness is inside of me," Bonnie said honestly. "You should know now that with magic anything's possible. And as someone who just came into her powers, you don't stand a chance against the man that's trapped her inside of me. So let Evelyn go, I'm sorry, but let her go."

Darcy's eyes were red now and her cheeks were flushed. "Tell Evelyn I'm going save her. I swear I will," then she turned to Alaric. "Thank you."

Darcy quickly went on her way home. Alaric and Bonnie watched her leave. The warmth in Bonnie's chest faded as she watched Darcy walk away. It was no surprise now why Evelyn chased after Damon the way she did. It was a surprise how much of Evelyn's emotions had pulsed through her.

As she once again considered her feelings for the vampire, he shows up in the flesh.

"Your girlfriends a nut, I hope you know that." Damon said has he patted Alaric on the shoulder.

"She's not my girlfriend. And you're a nut for trying. Haven't you been maimed by enough witches to know not to mess with them?"

"Damon," Bonnie's whispered. Damon turned around and her small body was already hurtling towards him and into his arms.

Alaric exhaled and quietly left them alone.

Bonnie held onto Damon with both arms and legs, Damon returned the embrace with a tight hold around her back. She leaned back in his arms and got a good look at his face.

"I hear you're getting married," Damon started with a grin as he started to walk into the house.

"Shut up," she pretended to strangle him.

"I'm just saying, aren't you a Pisces? You two might not even be compatible."

"You don't even believe in that stuff. When are you going to put me down?" Bonnie's face warmed up.

"Never," he groaned.

Bonnie laughed. "Come on!"

"Fine," Damon finally let her down on her feet. She was incredibly short standing in front of him without the heels she usually wore. Even in his arms, Bonnie was small and his strength as a vampire could crush her if he wasn't paying enough attention.

"Well you two seem closer than ever," Caroline said with a cross of her arms. "Bonnie, can we talk?"

Bonnie nodded and followed Caroline into the kitchen where the blonde promptly turned on the fossett.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm not doing-"

"Because with me you remember how delicate a situation we're in right now but with Damon of all people you completely lose it! Now just tell me, what's with you two. Maybe you've forgotten somehow that Damon is still waiting for Elena and that means not taking her best friend seriously. That's where his happy ending is, that's where it's always been." As much as Caroline hated it, somehow Elena captured the hearts of everyone person she ran into.

Bonnie was struck through the heart. She didn't have to be told that Damon was in love with someone else but hearing it aloud made it worse somehow. In all the time that she'd been with him, she'd forgotten not to get too close. She forgot that the fire would burn and that it would hurt.

But wasn't it his fault too? In 1994, he wouldn't shut up about Elena and now her name never escaped his lips. She knew it because she was paying attention, to every word he spoke, she was listening.

Wasn't it that Damon made her believe they were the only two people in the world?

"You're right..." Bonnie whispered.

No. It wasn't his fault that he was living his life like she and Elena had asked of him. It wasn't his fault that they were best friends and she couldn't help but fall in love with him. They weren't the only two people in the world, they never were. He didn't have to speak her name for the world to know that Elena Gilbert will always been the one for him.

"I am right. There's too much going on now." Caroline took a deep breath. "Let's make it out of this alive and find you a new guy."

 _'She's a bit dramatic isn't she?'_ Evelyn chimed in. ' _Who's she to say who you can't be with? Who's to say you can't crush anyone who objects?'_

 _'Because some things in the world just make sense,'_ Bonnie thought so that just Evelyn heard. _'You wouldn't know anything about sound decisions.'_

 _'Touché.'_

"Let's go," Caroline put her arm around Bonnie's shoulder and walked her to the living room where Damon sat impatiently.

Damon watched Bonnie take a seat across from him. Her shoulders were tense and a wrinkle lined her forehead where her brows knitted together in what Damon could tell were frustration. He recognized that look. The night of her party, she gave him that same face.

What exactly was Caroline telling her? It's pissed him off.

* * *

Darcy paced her living room. Her grimoires carpeted the floor around her, still unopened. As the sun set, she turned towards them and asked for an answer. She had to save Evelyn no matter what.

The grimoires shook. She gasped and watched them carefully. Four of the books rose from the floor and its pages turned rapid rely until they all stopped.

She walked up to them. Words and spells she never knew existed were presented to her.

"Is this how I do it?" She asked them. She took one floating in the air in front of her and read it carefully.

Was she strong enough for _this?_


	13. Nightmare

**Chapter 13**  
 **"Nightmare"**

As Bonnie slept, Evelyn stared out the window at nothing in particular. She hated when Bonnie fell asleep. It left her alone with too much time to her distressing thoughts. Laurent won. Even though it took him a century, he knew he was going to win. All he had to do was wait until she slipped up.

Even Laurent probably wouldn't have thought said slip up with be falling for someone. Her dim heart, iced over throughout the centuries she was alive was pierced somehow by Matt Donovan, a man who hated her and had gone to great lengths to be away from her. He apologized as sweetly as he could, to Bonnie, for everything. And yes, he'll do what he could, but could not and would not face her. With Bonnie's understanding and forgiveness, Matt quietly backed out of the spotlight.

"I'm an idiot," she said to herself. The least she should have known was that nothing good came from loving anyone. Love is weak bones inside of an incredibly frail body. It ruined her life and it certainly ruined the life of Bonnie even if Bonnie would never admit it. Look where love had gotten the both of them.

Suddenly, Evelyn started to breath heavily. But she wasn't supposed to be able to breath. She's not supposed to feel anything. She wrapped her arms around herself, frightened.

Her existence disappeared from the room Bonnie was in. In a fog, she reappeared in front of Darcy. Evelyn and Darcy gasped in unison

"Darcy?!"

Darcy's eyes widened. "W-Who are you?"

She darted her eyes back and forth across the room. "What the hell did you do? How am I here?"

Darcy stared at the red haired woman. She was a porcelain beauty. Absolutely flawless. "How? I summoned Evelyn!"

The woman in the fog lowered her body until she could properly face her. Their noses almost touched as they stared at each other. Darcy's heart raced.

"I am Evelyn."

Darcy's eyebrows pitched together. "I don't believe you."

"Well of course you wouldn't! You fool! How did you do this? I shouldn't be able to be summoned, I'm not some..." Evelyn stopped speaking once it dawned on her that Darcy was a lot smarter than she gave the new witch credit for. There was a loophole hiding in plain sight this entire time. "You're a genius!" Her smile surprised Darcy. "Of course! You summoned me!"

Darcy was still unsure. "Are you really her?" Her voice was low and timid. She hated herself for trying so hard for another witch she wouldn't recognize anyway.

Evelyn laughed. "Yes I am. You sweet genius. This is my original face—the one I was born with." Never before had Evelyn felt lucky. She was calculating and precise and rarely surprised. Until this moment, Evelyn knew for sure that she hit a wall. She lost. But now there was brand new fire lighting up inside her. She was giddy!

"Darcy! Listen to me! You are on the right path to becoming an incredible witch. But you cannot sustain this amount of magic for long." Evelyn took notice of Darcy's trembling body.

Darcy's vision was starting to blur, she was losing consciousness. "Evelyn... How do I get you back?" Her eye burned red with oncoming tears.

"Listen!" Evelyn yelled. Darcy would pass how any moment. "Kalla monst op at diia, say it!"

"Kalla... Monst..." Darcy tried to repeat.

"Kalla monst op at diia! Do not forget!"

"Kappa monst op at diia... Kalla monst op at diia... Kalla..."

Darcy lost consciousness. The magic she used was much bigger than she could handle. Her forehead was covered in sweat and her nose bled from both nostrils. Evelyn wasn't worried though. Darcy was a force to be reckoned with. She will be the one to save her.

Evelyn simply knew it to be true.

* * *

Time had run out. Conrad, who had given Bonnie time alone as she requested, returned early. Stefan hadn't found anyone in town he could bring himself to compel so that Lucy could, essentially, take their life.

Bonnie sat still while Lucy talked of other thing they could do. If Conrad had no options then he had no power to hurt them.

Bonnie shook her head. She was already in the dress. "We'd be running for life. Just like Evelyn did."

Lucy frowned deeply. Caroline had no other ideas either. Bonnie had signed her glorious destiny. There was nothing more she could ask for than the safety of her friends, the only family she had left.

"I'm not accepting this!" Caroline shouted into the quiet room. "Bonnie, Stefan and I will stall, and you run okay? You and Lucy can leave and we'll hold him off!" Bonnie remained stone faced, shaking her head slowly. Caroline took a deep breath and looked Bonnie in the eyes. "It shouldn't always be you. I'm not going to let it be you this time!"

Stefan walked into the room then and was quickly grabbed by Caroline and dragged from the house, ignoring Bonnie's shouts for them to stop.

"She's right. We can go and let them handle it."

"You mean let them die. Caroline means to die trying. And that'll be the end. Please, find Caroline and stop her, tell her I'd rather her be alive. Tell her that Conrad will take care of me as long as we don't cross him."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't want to see him," Bonnie said and Lucy somehow understood that she was talking about Damon. "I'm going ahead." Conrad would arrive soon. If she asked, he'd take her somewhere beautiful and expensive and where she wouldn't be found. A wonderful prison.

Bonnie wasnt naive enough to think she'd be able to convince Damon into letting her marry Conrad without a fuss. At least for there wasn't any other option for her. Everyone knew what fighting Conrad head on would get into into. Maybe one day after the wedding, when his guard was down, she'll kill him with her bare hands.

She'll leave him and run back to Damon. Even if they had to be apart for a while, it would have been worth his life, Caroline's life, Stefan's, and Matt's.

* * *

Damon had gone out to do what Stefan and Lucy couldn't. As far as he was concerned, no one mattered more than Bonnie. He wouldn't feel a shred of guilt.

Bonnie had purposely waited until he'd gone so that she could go away in peace. Damon would have to remind her that giving was never the answer for either of them. IT was the very best thing they had in common.

As Bonnie was making her way to Falls Church, Caroline and Stefan were the ones to run into Conrad. Lucy, who was just catching up to them, took a step back. She watched them for a moment. If he was distracted, maybe she could take him out.

"Conrad," Caroline started with a strong toward him. "I'm sorry, but we can't let you have our friend. She means too much to us."

Conrad seemed puzzled. "She means just as much to me, I assure you."

Stefan recoiled at the statement. "You're forcing her to do something she doesn't want to."

"Bonnie will live for all eternity by my side. She is blessed. There are times where you'd take blessings for granted," he sung with a tiny hint of a smile. There was nothing in his world that would have kept him from getting what he wanted.

Caroline bared her fangs and went after him. Conrad used his magic to throw her from him before she could get close. Stefan caught her before her body could crash through the pavement.

Conrad frowned. "Bonnie would hate it if I killed you two. She'd be devastated. Tell me, this town is important to you right? While Bonnie will be saddened, punishment is due."

Conrad took a deep breath and raised both of his hands. There was an eerie moment of silence before every house down the road they stood on went up in flames. Caroline and Stefan turned to see their hometown on fire.

"This should keep you busy."

Lucy stared in horror as people tried to escape their burning homes. With tears in her eyes, she started to run back to Falls Church. Damon would try and convince her to stay but Conrad wasn't playing any games.

* * *

Falls Church was beautiful. Soft and golden and the place most people in the town got married. It was where Caroline sang at her own mother's funeral. It was where Elena's parents got married; it was where their funeral was held. As breathtaking as it was, nothing but sadness filled up the spaces here.

"Bonnie," Damon's voice was small but Bonnie heard from where she stood on stage. "I knew I'd find you here."

Bonnie was stunning in her dress. It was long and made of lace and beads and it was much too beautiful to be associated with a day as dark as this one. The sun was already setting. Bonnie should have been closing up her shop, talking to her best friend about annoying customers, and thinking about what she'll have for dinner but begrudgingly accept whatever Damon decides to make for her. Her average days were long gone.

"You didn't kill anyone did you?"1 Bonnie was prepared to tell Damon that it was a waste of time and definitely not the right thing to do.

"I'd off a dozen people for you and you'd do the same for me. I got a call from Lucy though, telling me that you were gonna run away with him anyway."

With his enhanced eye sight, he could tell that she'd been crying earlier, that she must have used cheap, course paper to wipe her delicate face in a hurry over to the church. He could see how sorrow draped her shoulders and festered from neglect.

"Caroline and Stefan are out there trying to save everyone but especially you. Since when are you to give up?"

Bonnie shook her head. "Conrad will kill you. He'll kill everyone. This is all I can do Damon..." She grabbed her wedding dress. "This is all I have left."

In this horror show, Damon had to let Bonnie know that she was much more than that. She was glitter in the dark. She was the train that crashed his heart. She was everything he had hoped to have and all it took was a hundred years of misery before he was lucky enough to meet her.

"That's not true and if you gave this more thought you would know that." Damon was just under her now, looking up at her small figure on the church stage.

Outside of the church, Stefan and Caroline were trying to save a town that was literally burning down and people whose only fault were living in a quiet town that attracted the likes of him and Conrad.

"And if this is the end, then let it be!" He stretched out his hand to her. "We've been here before haven't we? I rather end it all with you right now than have someone else decide how we live the rest of our lives."

Bonnie couldn't cry. She remembered holding his hand as the world around them was crashing. She asked him if he thought would hurt and he said he didn't know. Speculating at the point was useless. Their fingers were so tightly bound that Bonnie felt comforted. That should have been it.

What if everything went up in flames? Wasn't it fine as long as they were together?

She took his hand, Damon smiled. He pulled her from the stage and into his arms. They were laughing and grinning and it was all okay for a minute.

"How adorable," Conrad said as he entered the church. "And to think I went through the trouble of distracting your friends so that we'd have a quiet ceremony instead of killing them."

Damon moved to stand in front of her. "Change of plans. This one isn't going anywhere."

"Damon, get out of the way," Bonnie whispered.

Damon turned to her and frowned. "Bonnie. What are you thinking?"

Bonnie's face was lined with regrets. What was she thinking? To sacrifice the lives of her friends and the people of her town. How could she do that to the ones she loved? Why would she? For Elena, who slept soundly in a tomb, the town she grew up in and the friends who should be there to welcome her back to the real world, this wasn't worth it.

"Damon..."

Damon's eyes widened in terror. "Bonnie, don't do this." Damon's legs started to lift from the ground. He grabbed her arm. "Bonnie!"

She smiled warmly. "Tell Elena I said hello, and good bye."

"Bonnie no!" Damon yelled. Behind him, the church doors swung open.

Her green eyes were shimmering. "I love you, Damon." She could say it now. She could be honest. She spent years with Damon, she didn't need hugs or kisses to know that her feelings were real, that she'd never been so happy before she met him. No matter what happened to her now, she got to be so deeply in love with her best friend that she could make a sacrifice like this. She decided there was nothing more she could ask for. "I always have."

For the very first time, Bonnie saw tears in Damon's eyes and she felt loved in return. And for that love, she would take Conrad down with her, and give Damon what he's always wanted.

Bonnie used her magic and threw Damon out of the church. The large doors slammed shut behind him. Even though he tried with all of his might, Damon couldn't get back inside.

As he tried to kick the windows in, Lucy called to him. "It's not going to work. She sealed the place."

"Well then what the hell are you doing to help?! She's going to die in there!"

"I'm trying!" She shouted back.

They stared at each other intensely. "If Bonnie doesn't make it out of there I'll..." He started threateningly.

"You'll what?" She glared and Damon was effectively silenced. "Now if you'd shut up, I can try and help."

"No..." Damon said as the possibility of losing Bonnie hit him once again. "Just save her."

Inside the church, Bonnie and Conrad faced off.

"Do you know why I decided to go by Conrad? I thought sometime 50 years ago that I needed to change. Maybe my dearest Evelyn had a point. I would be kinder. I would be sweeter. Maybe then, she'd willingly return to my side. I wanted her to forget Laurent and see Conrad as a decent man."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "What a sad song."

Conrad gritted his teeth. "And then when I finally found her, I realized that not only have I not changed, neither did she. But you, Bonnie Bennet, were different. I knew your grandmother for a short time, but she was powerful and she was full of good."

"Did she rebuff your creepy advances too? Poor thing."

Conrad chuckled. "For someone who won't live to see the sun rise, you've become cheeky."

'Bonnie,' Evelyn suddenly spoke, making Bonnie's eyes widen in surprise. 'Laurent will kill you and I can say it'll be regretful.'

'What do you want Evelyn?' Bonnie thought.

'Nothing. In fact, my final words to you will be that you had gotten something right in all this. Having a true friend is so important. The ones who sacrifice everything are the ones with the biggest hearts and the sweetest souls.'

'Now is not the time,'

'Good bye Bonnie. May your sacrifice be worth it,' Evelyn's voice faded out. Bonnie didn't have the time to wonder what Evelyn had meant in good bye before the sensation of fire spread across her chest. She screamed.

For a moment Conrad felt worry over her. But then he realized what was happening. "Evelyn!" He shouted into the air. "I will find you again!"

Bonnie could hear an echo of Evelyn's laugh.

Suddenly she was being thrust into the air and against a statue of a Virgin Mary. She hit the back of her head and the room started to spin.

"If only you focused on how good this would have been for you. I would've taken care of you." He shook his head as if he was scolding a child.

As she rose to her feet, she clenched her fist. Conrad flinched and felt like his head was going to split in half. "I am not a toy. I'm not your pet and plaything!" She growled. Conrad's nose started to bleed, putting him through what Evelyn did to Caroline.

She was right the first time. She had to do what only she could. She had to do the impossible because she was magical in every way real or imagined.

Bonnie and Conrad used their magic to inflict incredible damage on each other. There were bloody noses and eyes, broken bones and torn clothes. But Bonnie was losing, and the both of them knew it. It was only a matter of time before she collapsed entirely.

* * *

Outside of the church, Lucy focused on her summons. 100 witches died in Mystic Falls, their one enemy were vampires. But Lucy pleaded to them. For love and sisterhood, they must give up their very existence to Bonnie. Give her the power they'd left behind in death.

"Please..." Lucy shed a tear and Damon watched hopelessly from outside.

The roof of the church tore off. Clouds gathered in the sky and thunder rumbled. Bonnie couldn't see out of her left eye. The only reason either one of them were still alive is from an extreme amount of magical protection. She watched him smile. A chill ran down her spine.

"I'm impressed Bonnie. You are indeed the grandchild of Sheila and the last descendant of Qetsiyah."

How was he speaking so calmly? How could he be so strong? Why wasn't she stronger?

"You..." She started to speak but realized it hurt too much to.

"Hm? I didn't catch that?" He laughed. "I'm hundreds of years old Bonnie. How did you think this was going to turn out? Even if you somehow made it out of this church alive, I've cut your time here on earth short."

Bonnie finally dropped to her knees. Her magical defenses dropped with her.

"That's right. Kneel and give up," he said almost sweetly. He almost wished Bonnie would have played along like a good girl. She was certainly a force with long she managed to stand against him

Conrad broke the seal on the church. The doors opened wide and as he walked towards them to leave Bonnie to die alone, he dropped to his knees.

Conrad heaved. Bonnie was a good witch, and another good which wouldn't die in this town if they could help it. The witches whose souls had lingered along with their magic, used up the very last of their strength to break through Conrad's magical protection, and stop his heart entirely.

Conrad, in his final moments, thought of Evelyn. "Will you love me?" Evelyn had asked while they were still together and happy. "For how long?

Laurent had smiled then. "Of course. For eternity, I will be madly in love with you."

"Do you promise?" She asked with a smile as she turn in her stain sheets.

"I promised..." were Laurent's last words before his heart was crushed right inside of him.

Damon got to the door and ran toward Bonnie who had collapsed. Thank goodness, her heart was still beating. He scoped her up in his arms.

Stefan and Caroline had managed to save the people affected by the fires. By the time they reached the church, Lucy had fainted from using herself as a vessel for the 100 witches to attack Conrad. Caroline checked up on her and Stefan moved forward. Inside, he found Damon holding Bonnie in his arms, her white dress still dripping her blood to the floor.

"My blood isn't working..."

"Damon," Stefan took a step forward and saw Damon take a step back. "Let's get Bonnie out of here."

"I gave her my blood and she isn't healing..." Bonnie remained unconscious in his arms. She had gashes and bruises all over her body, her bloodied eye bulged from the socket. There isn't a doctor on earth that could bring her back from this. And if vampire blood didn't work then he was going to lose her.

It was Damon's only nightmare.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Hello!**

 **I remember originally wanting to finish this story before the vampire diaries series finale. Ah, I missed my dead line. Thank you so much for waiting for me to come back though!**


	14. Faith

**Chapter 14  
** **"Faith"**

A chill ran down Damon's spine as Bonnie's beating heart waned and finally stilled from the incredible effort. His blood couldn't save her, not this time. Across from them, Stefan could only stare, wide eyed. Damon held her body tighter.

Bonnie's ghost stood behind Damon. "Damon," Bonnie whispered but quickly realized she didn't have any words to comfort him even if he could hear her.

Just then, someone had called out to her. Bonnie looked over her shoulder and found her found her grandmother. "I'm so sorry baby," Sheila said and Bonnie collapsed in her arms. Sheila nodded and rubbed Bonnie's back as she cried into her blouse.

There was nothing Sheila would have wanted more than the very best for her granddaughter. Bonnie especially, had deserved the world and Sheila did everything she could to give her granddaughter just that. But Bonnie made it impossible to be selfish, of course, she would stay and fight. It's in her blood.

"Let's go now hm? It's time." Sheila's voice was soft but Bonnie had enough of it. She got to save everyone. And she got to die to for it, again. Mystic Falls was cursed. Even if she died today, tomorrow there'd be a new force of evil tearing through the town. And everything she did would have been for nothing. Until the very end, she wasn't strong enough.

"Damon..." Stefan approached his brother slowly. "Damon, listen to me, he's dead. He's gone." He pointed to Conrad's body. "And Bonnie..."

"No." Damon hadn't sobbed nor winced at Bonnie mutilated body in his arms. He hadn't heard Stefan trying to console him, surprisingly; there was only the sound of rushing water in his ears.

"Damon, please, we have to move her from here. We've got to go, and make sure she..."

Stefan stopped and watched Damon stare at her. Bonnie's body seemed boneless in his arms. Her blood still dripped from her hair and her finger tips. There would be no soothing him, certainly not this time.

"No..." Damon said again.

"Damon, she's gone." Stefan shouted, only a few steps away from his brother by then.

The rushing water suddenly cleared and Damon focused on Stefan in front of him. Crystal clear tears spilled from his eyes. Stefan's eyes widened at the sight.

"She can't be gone. She'll definitely... come back..." He knew. By then, Caroline and Lucy were at the entrance of the church. Damon took in all of their expressions and felt suffocated. "She's not gone." Damon looked up. "She just needs time."

He held her closer. The warmth from her skin was fading. Again, he wasn't strong enough to protect her. He carried her all the way home with his brother and friends in tow.

"Damon," Stefan tried to reach him again, Caroline raised her hand though, silencing him.

Caroline watched Damon carefully place Bonnie's body on the couch. He was being incredibly gentle. She lost her best friend. And maybe—definitely—it was permanent. Finally, it all sunk in and Caroline sobbed.

Lucy took Caroline to another bedroom to cry in peace. Once Caroline was alone, she turned to the very final Bennett and shook her head.

"Why couldn't we do anything?!" Caroline's eyes burned red.

"We did all we could—she—did all she could."

Lucy thought of her cousin, thought of Sheila, thought of her own missing powers, and had nothing to show for it. All this time spent trying to be smart and careful... and Bonnie still had to be the one to sacrifice the most.

* * *

Damon ignored Stefan speaking to him. He was knelt next to the couch holding Bonnie's cold hand.

"You said it yourself right brother? You said I'd go crazy without her."

"Well I've seen you go crazy for several women in the past so..."

Damon caught the joke and chuckled a bit. "Of course. I'm a wreck after all." The constricting in his chest, his heartbeat, this urge to tear the room apart, was nothing like what he felt before.

Matt rushed in then, breathless, he explained that he couldn't get here sooner with so many fires in town earlier.

"How is she?" Matt tried looking over Damon's shoulder to see Bonnie's face but Stefan stepped in and locked eyes with him. "She's gone, Matt. She took Laurent out and was gone before we could get back to them."

Matt let out a shaky breath. "No..."

Stefan swallowed the lump in his throat. "Laurent was the one who started all the fires. Caroline and I saved everyone we could."

Matt hated himself. He was only a person and it was never going to be good enough. Just when he thought it was time for him to settle into a life he'd be happy with, Evelyn showed up and ruined every memory he thought he was creating with Bonnie. And like a coward, he did what mere humans do and ran away.

"I'm sorry..." Matt whispered.

Damon said nothing. Bonnie's body kept getting colder. For the first time in a long time, he wished he wasn't a vampire. Even if he held her, his body could never warm her up.

And in all the chaos, Stefan was the first to remember, the first to panic and leave the Salvatore mansion without a word to the others. Leaving them to grieve alone.

Stefan couldn't get to Elena's tomb fast enough. He didn't even know what to hope for. He just had to see her. With his own eyes, he had to be sure that all was lost.

The casket remained shut. Stefan approached it quickly. He could hear muffled sobbing from inside. When he opened it, Elena was wide awake and crying softly, her hands were clasped together over her chest. They were red from pound it against the casket from the inside.

"Stefan..." Elena's wet brown eyes stared up in awe.

Stefan dipped into the casket and pulled her out in one careful swoop. "It's okay, I'm here now."

"I couldn't push it open... From the inside," Elena felt weak and vulnerable. For an entire night, she'd been trying to get out. But Stefan was there so all wasn't lost. He held her in his arms and she hugged him tight. "Thank you, thank you."

"Anytime," Stefan smiled. She was alive and she was warm and she was his in arms as real as ever. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

Elena couldn't stop the second wave of tears that spilled from her eyes. What had she been so afraid of before? A locked box was nothing compared to the dangers she faced in the past.

Elena took his face, and smiled through her tear stained face. "I'll forgive you, for now, because I'm exhausted." She leaned in and rested against his chest.

He kissed her forehead. "Let's get you home."

 _Ah, home._ The concept felt far away yet familiar. Elena wanted to go home but then grief filled her. It was brief but Elena had felt it, the tearing of Bonnie's body, the anguish Bonnie felt in her last moments.

Bonnie hadn't died peacefully.

* * *

"Let's go now Bonnie. You've done all you could." Sheila knew Bonnie wouldn't stop there though.

Bonnie stared at the church doors. Damon had walked right out still holding onto her body. His last words had struck her. She just needs time. She's not gone.

"I'll definitely... come back..." Bonnie spoke as if she was in a trance. She then blinked away the tears from her eyes. Damon will wait for it.

"Grams, what are the odds that I come back from this?" Hope ballooned inside her.

Sheila shook her head. "That's powerful magic honey; no witch in her right mind would try it. Please, don't try anything. Your father, your ancestors, they'd all love to see you." Sheila offered Bonnie her hand.

Bonnie exhaled then smiled. "I can't, grams. He's waiting for me."

"Lucy has lost her powers. You'd need a living witch to perform the kind of high stakes magic needed for this." Sheila wondered if Bennett witches were genetically predisposed to be stubborn.

Bonnie took it all in. The odds weren't on her side. Even if she found a witch willing to try, it would take an immense amount of power, more than one witch would even have.

But Damon had faith in her. So she'd have to have faith in herself too.

For everything she had to give up on, she was going to take a chance on herself and her happiness. She'll make it back to her boutique, to her friends, to him, and take the chances she told herself she shouldn't.

"I can't help you this time honey. You're going to have to figure this out on your own now. I have a witch friend in New Orleans; she's an old family friend. She'll at least hear you out."

"Grams... thank you." It was Sheila's own version of a blessing.

"And if you're ever tired, I'll find you again."

Bonnie smiled and kissed her on the cheek before running out of the church.


	15. Returning

**Chapter 15  
** **"Returning"**

Stefan got back to the Salvatore mansion with Elena still in his arms. He could tell immediately that Damon had gone. He could smell Caroline's familiar flowery perfume upstairs and hear Matt's heavy hand rubbing her back. No sign of Damon inside though.

He set her down on her feet and watched her walk through the living room. She touched everything, stroking the fine art in the room with her thin fingers. "When will you acquire a more modern sense of furniture, Stefan?"

Stefan smiled a bit. "What's wrong with dark old English decor?"

Elena pursed her lips to keep from smiling. Suddenly, she heard footsteps rushing down the stairs. Caroline appeared with Matt behind her. Elena's brown eyes lit up at her friends. She hugged Caroline and felt her vampire strength as the blonde held too tightly onto her body.

"I can't believe this. Stefan just left! I didn't know it would be so... immediate..."

Elena hummed. There was so much that they didn't know about Kai's spell. It was reasonable that they didn't come looking for her right away but Stefan did. How did he know?

Matt hugged her second; she was completely lost in his broad chest. "I missed you," Matt whispered.

"I'm glad to be back. But..." she pulled away from Matt and looked into Stefan's eyes. There was no way to mask the sadness in his eyes. "How is he?"

"We don't know where he went. I mean... It's only been a few hours, Elena." Stefan answered as honestly as possible. Part of him wanted to buy Damon more time to grieve.

Elena sighed as she turned to look out the window. She wondered where he'd gone to mourn all alone. It was so like him to deal with it by himself.

Still, she missed him, and hoped he'd return soon.

* * *

Darcy awoke alone in her bedroom. The night before, she used the spell Evelyn had told her but she passed out before knowing if it worked. Was Evelyn safe? How would she know? She wiped at the crusty dry blood in her nose and around her mouth.

She painstakingly made her way to her bathroom and looked in the mirror. She decided that she looked awful, going against her usually positive demeanor. She washed her face and again stared at her reflection. Suddenly, the image of a red haired woman appeared in front of her.

"Boo!" The women yelled.

Darcy gasped and tripped backward when she tried to get away. From the floor, she could hear the woman laugh.

"Have you forgotten me already? You're the one who summoned me!" Evelyn exclaimed. Her image appeared in front of Darcy. "I would help you up but literally can't." She demonstrated by trying and failing to touch Darcy's knee. It passed right through.

"Evelyn?"

"Oh come now, don't play dumb. I am Evelyn. You are Darcy."

Darcy got up from the floor. "So..." She started, immediately connecting the dots. "You really possessed that girl?"

"I did," Evelyn said, she felt no guilt and lying to Darcy was out of the question. She'd never lie to her.

"Why?" Darcy exhaled.

"I wanted my freedom, and it didn't matter who else got in the way of that—or who I had to crush to get it."

Darcy sighed. Evelyn's face was breathtaking. Even her voice was a captivating song. But Darcy wasn't naive enough to dismiss how vicious her new friend was.

Evelyn went on to explain that she couldn't remain a phantom by her side forever. Darcy would need to find her a real body.

"What?" Darcy felt overwhelmed. "A real body? Are you a ghost?"

Evelyn wanted to laugh. "For someone who summoned me, you sure seem lost. You're close though. You actually found a strange loophole in all this. As you would a ghost, you called me to your plane of living. I prefer the term phantom, it's catchy."

"But you're not alive. And now you want a body?"

"Yes. I obviously can't go on like this forever. The spell I gave you would sign us to a binding contract. In this state, I belong to you and will be in your company until you die."

Darcy's eyes widened. She knew that by now she'll have to get used to hearing things that were ridiculously farfetched. She was a witch now, her friend is now a phantom, and it was all up to her to do something about it.

"But if you get me a body you can forget about me standing over you for the next 60 years."

Darcy furrowed her brows. Okay, magic came with some complications. It was nothing she couldn't handle, she was sure.

"How do I get you a body?" she asked after a long moment of contemplation. She was a part of it all now.

"Well you'd have to find one that was already living of course. Any body is fine, not too big or small. Preferably another witch though."

Darcy shook her head. "Impossible. That would mean taking someone's life...killing someone…"

"And?" Evelyn would kill lots of people if it meant that Darcy would be okay.

"And I won't do that!" She shouted, causing Evelyn to flinch. She didn't know someone like Darcy could raise their voice.

Evelyn sighed. Of course, another heart of gold. It would take forever to convince her to go against that pure heart of hers. As annoyed as she was, Evelyn already figured out that it's Darcy's goodness was what made her amazing. Evelyn would get nowhere if Darcy wasn't going to get her hands dirty though.

"Darcy, I can't do anything in this state. I'll literally be here attached to you until you until you die."

Darcy looked away. "There must be another way," she said as she walked back to the living room where her grimoires stayed. She closed her eyes. "I don't want to hurt anyone," she said to them. "Help me."

The grimoires rattled on the ground and began to levitate. Darcy's eyes widened. What is this? She wondered.

The ancient books slowly spun around Darcy as their pages flipped back and forth. Darcy opened her eyes and watched them look into themselves for a solution.

"How are you doing this?" Darcy asked, astonished. Grimoires weren't supposed to be alive, not to this extent.

"They want to help me," she smiled at them. "They were the ones who showed me the spell to find you."

Finally, three grimoires stopped in front of her while the others fell to the floor. Darcy took the first book and read it out loud. "A body of mud is fragile and designed for temporary use. Humans made of mud will crack and fall apart with extended use."

She looked up to Evelyn, "Well, that's a temp fix."

"I don't need a temp fix." Evelyn huffed. "I've never seen those bodies in action anyway. How do we know it'll be passable as human?"

Darcy nodded grabbed the other book and read it. "This sounds like the possession you used on Bonnie."

"Too many complications. I could never keep her emotions in check."

"Mud it is!" Darcy said cheerfully. She crossed her legs and started to carefully read up on what t took to create a body.

Evelyn frowned at her. "If you can't handle it, stop while you're ahead."

"What?" Darcy said, not looking up from the grimoire.

Evelyn kneeled in front of her. "When you can feel that you've had enough, don't try harder. It'll be bad if you tried for too much power."

Darcy smiled. "I got us this far haven't I? Where's your faith in me?"

Evelyn pursed her lips to keep from grinning. There hasn't been a person since Laurent that she had so much faith in.

* * *

"We'll see you tomorrow ok?" Caroline said as she hugged Elena for the millionth time already. "There's still plenty we should catch you up on but for now I think we all need some rest."

Matt kissed her on the cheek. "Tomorrow. We'll get some real food in you."

Elena smiled and thanked her friends. Tomorrow she'll know the whole truth but for now, she'd had enough. She closed the door and turned to Stefan behind her. He'd quietly watched over Elena as she talked to her friends for over an hour.

"Well, what now?"

"Now, we get you some food. You must be starving." Stefan walked to the kitchen and delicate bare feet followed him. She sat at the island and watched Stefan season chicken and put it in a frying pan.

"Fried chicken Stefan? How rustic of you."

"Har-har, you're a riot Elena."

She laughed a bit. "You're cooking doesn't match you're living room furniture set."

Stefan watched the chicken sizzle for a moment. "I can go out and look for him you know... he should be here—for you."

Elena shook her head at Stefan's back. "I was nervous earlier... thinking that maybe Damon would inadvertently hurt someone who looked at him the wrong way because he's hurting. He lost his best friend. But I get the feeling... that Damon isn't that person anymore." She smiled but was betrayed by the tears that slipped from her eyes. "I'm going to miss her too. And he should have time to grieve the way he wants to."

Stefan nodded. Stefan couldn't agree more but was sure that Damon wasn't grieving at all. Damon's proclamation at the church replayed in his head. He wouldn't want to alarm her but Damon had surely lost it when he lost Bonnie.

"Well I hope that 7 year sleep made you at least a little hungry."

Elena brightened up. "What is hunger? I've already skirted pass starvation."

* * *

In a house on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, Damon watched sat in a slick leather couch. Most of the furniture in the room was covered in tarp or paper white linens. The couch in front of him though, had nothing on it but the body of Bonnie Bennet, stricken with rigor mortise.

"Come back…" He urged to her.


End file.
